The life form of civilizations
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reveal the mechanism underlying three fascinating problems that have been investigated by many first class scholars in sociology throughout history.
Design/methodology/approach
The thinking logic and figurative method of the general systemic yoyo model, combined with laboratory experiments, are collectively employed to present a brand new methodology for the study of three unsettled problems in the research of civilizations.
Findings
The paper provides novel explanations for such fascinating but unsettled problems as: what factors determine whether a civilization is to live or die? What brings prosperity to a specific geographic region? How does a new emerging or reviving civilization adopt elements of existing or other civilizations to build or reconstruct its own organizational structure?
Originality/value
This paper presents how laws and conclusions developed in systems science in general and the systemic yoyo model in particular can bring forward tangible results in social science with solid scientific merits. Considering the importance of the conclusions drawn in this paper, it is expected that this paper will produce results that can be truly useful for policy makers at national and international levels.
Keywords
Citation
Lin, Y. and Forrest, B. (2010), "The life form of civilizations", Kybernetes, Vol. 39 No. 2, pp. 357-366. https://doi.org/10.1108/03684921011021525
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited