--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All civilization in a sense exists only…" description: "\"All civilization in a sense exists only in the mind. Gunpowder, textile arts, machinery, laws, telephones are not themselves transmitted from man to ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/alfred-l-kroeber-77405_art_all-civilization-in-a-sense-exists-only_61908.png" --- # All civilization in a sense exists only in the mind… ![“All civilization in a sense exists only in the mind. Gunpowder, textile arts, machinery, laws, telephones are not themselves transmitted from man to man or from generation to generation, at least not permanently. It is the perception, the knowledge and understanding of them, their ideas in the…” quote by Alfred L. Kroeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/alfred-l-kroeber-77405_art_all-civilization-in-a-sense-exists-only_61908.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/alfred-l-kroeber-77405_art_all-civilization-in-a-sense-exists-only_61908.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/alfred-l-kroeber-77405_art_all-civilization-in-a-sense-exists-only_61908.png) > “All civilization in a sense exists only in the mind. Gunpowder, textile arts, machinery, laws, telephones are not themselves transmitted from man to man or from generation to generation, at least not permanently. It is the perception, the knowledge and understanding of them, their ideas in the Platonic sense, that are passed along. Everything social can have existence only through mentality.” Alfred L. Kroeber ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Culture persists not as material objects but as shared mental representations that are transmitted across generations. **In simple terms:** Ideas, not things, sustain civilization. Key Takeaway Culture is a mental construct. Themes philosophy sociology cognitive science history ontology Mood reflective introspective thoughtful Type philosophical sociological cognitive When to use this quote - teaching history - preserving traditions - building institutions - designing curricula - archiving cultural heritage Key Concepts collective memory symbolic transmission social reality knowledge structures Practical Applications - educational program design - cultural policy planning Questions to Reflect On - How do we ensure the fidelity of cultural ideas over time? - What role do material artifacts play in shaping mental representations? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Knowledge and understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-and-understanding/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Man To Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-to-man/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mentality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentality/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Perception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perception/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Platonic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platonic/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [each generation devises better ways to survive. Civilization may, in one sense, be a tribute to the ingeniousness of some children in outwitting parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-freeman/each-generation-devises-better-ways-to-survive-civilization-may-in/) [Lucy Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-freeman/) > [“In the social production of their existence, men inevitably enter into definite relations, which are independent of their will, namely relations of production appropriate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/in-the-social-production-of-their-existence-men-inevitably-enter-into/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Society must be organized in such a way that mans social, loving nature is not separated from his social existence, but becomes one with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/society-must-be-organized-in-such-a-way-that-mans-social-loving/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [As the render is to the building, and the blueprint to the machine, so sport is to social existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/as-the-render-is-to-the-building-and-the-blueprint-to-the-machine-so/) [Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/) > [I create my social existence by earning and spending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/i-create-my-social-existence-by-earning-and-spending/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [All mentally well-balanced persons know that we are not governed by the true principals of social justice when we make the main aim of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/all-mentally-well-balanced-persons-know-that-we-are-not-governed-by/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [“It is not the consciousness of man that determines his existence—rather, it is his social existence that determines his consciousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/it-is-not-the-consciousness-of-man-that-determines-his-existence/) [Karl R. 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One cannot be human by oneself. There is no selfhood where there is no community. We do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-carse/no-one-can-play-a-game-alone-one-cannot-be-human-by-oneself-there-is/) [James P. Carse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-carse/) > [“Beauty in things exists in the mind that contemplates them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/beauty-in-things-exists-in-the-mind-that-contemplates-them/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) ## More by Alfred L. Kroeber > [“Anthropology is the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities." - Alfred L. Kroeber”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-l-kroeber/anthropology-is-the-most-humanistic-of-the-sciences-and-the-most/) Alfred L. Kroeber > [Anthropology is the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-l-kroeber/anthropology-is-the-most-humanistic-of-the-sciences-and-the-most-2/) Alfred L. Kroeber Explore all 3 Alfred L. Kroeber quotes ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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