Epigram for March 2026

Civilisation means ordered life among human beings in pursuance of common goals, a framework and process enriched by traditions, memory, a sense of identity and a moral compass. Civilisation builds on foundational values and entails an agreement to live according to rational norms, in an animus to observe the rules of the game, whether these rules are written or unwritten. Long before writing was invented, language and codes of conduct existed. Hunters and gatherers had their own cultures and gradually devised their own rules of the game for survival and development – lived in small communities, improvised sports, invented stories, sang songs. Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon in Africa, Asia, Polynesia, Europe or the Americas, conceived their own codes and methodologies. Their civilisations found expression in religious ceremonies, initiation rites, music, dances, cuisine, practical rules of sanitation, irrigation, canals, bridges, funeral rites. They managed to survive and prosper in hostile environments, e.g. the Aboriginals of Australia. Written laws came much later, when the Chinese, Indians, Mesopotamians, Persians, Greeks invented their respective symbols corresponding to vowels and consonants. The ability to record financial transactions with written symbols facilitated commerce between peoples, and enabled the cross-fertilisation of cultures. History teaches us that civilisations decline and end when societies abandon their foundational values and no longer respect the rules of the game. Legal uncertainty leads to chaos, violence and war. A “culture of cheating”, double standards and bad faith betray the “human Covenant” and undermine the proper functioning of society. As civilisations rise and fall, the responsibility for maintaining our culture and values rests on each one of us.

Source: www.alfreddezayas.com