Civilization is drugs, alcohol, engines of war…
“Civilization is drugs, alcohol, engines of war, prostitution, machines and machine slaves, low wages, bad food, bad taste, prisons, reformatories, lunatic asylums, divorce, perversion, brutal sports, suicides, infanticide, cinema, quackery, demagogy, strikes, lockouts, revolutions, putsches, colonization, electric chairs, guillotines, sabotage, floods, famine, disease, gangsters, money barons, horse racing, fashion shows, poodle dogs, chow dogs, Siamese cats, condoms, peccaries, syphilis, gonorrhea, insanity, neuroses, etc., etc.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Civilization is a complex web of harmful and exploitative systems that degrade humanity.
In simple terms: Society is full of destructive practices.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge systemic harms.
Themes
society
corruption
humanity
exploitation
Mood
cynical
reflective
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- urban planning
- public health
- criminal justice reform
- media literacy
- environmental policy
Key Concepts
philosophy
social critique
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- What systemic changes could reduce these harms?
- How can individuals act against such exploitation?
A Different Perspective
Overlooks positive aspects of civilization and potential for reform.