Civilisation Recast: Theoretical and Historical Perspectives

Civilization is a contested concept, often associated with the West, colonial histories, and emerging global politics. This book provides a new conceptualization that challenges traditional notions of civilization by explaining how to understand duration and continuity as long-term processes of transformation. Civilizations are best seen as practices of feeding and hospitality, rituals and manners of living and dying, entering the portals into the invisible world, healing, and the knowledge of the encompassing universe and its powers. They furnish the moral ideals for people to live by and aspire to and are changed more by the actions of grassroots and their little traditions than by their ruling authorities. This book revitalizes and changes the way to think about civilizations in the humanities, historical, and social sciences.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 20 October 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Civilisation is a complex and multifaceted concept that is often linked to the privileges of the West, colonial histories, and emerging global politics. In this book, Stephen Feuchtwang and Michael Rowlands present a fresh perspective that challenges traditional notions of civilisation by examining the examples of Africa and China. They argue that civilisations should be understood as long-term processes of transformation rather than static entities. Civilisations are best seen as practices that encompass various aspects of human life, including feeding and hospitality, rituals and manners, and the exploration of the invisible world that surrounds us. These practices involve not only material aspects but also spiritual and moral dimensions, such as healing, knowledge of the universe, and the presence of ghosts and demons. Civilisations provide moral ideals for individuals to live by and aspire to, and they are shaped by the actions of grassroots communities and their unique traditions rather than solely by ruling authorities.

This book not only revitalises our understanding of civilisations but also reshapes the way we think about them in the humanities, historical, and social sciences. It encourages us to approach civilisations with a broader lens and a more nuanced perspective, recognizing the diversity and complexity of human societies across time and space. By exploring the examples of Africa and China, Feuchtwang and Rowlands offer valuable insights into the processes of transformation and the enduring legacies of civilisations. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the study of human history, culture, and society.

Weight: 334g
ISBN-13: 9781108706186