From: LARRY KLAES (ljk4_at_msn.com)
Date: Thu Dec 02 2004 - 19:27:57 PST
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/cccmenu.html WHAT IS A TYPE 4, 5, 6 CIVILISATION?
Stephen Ashworth <sa_at_astronist.demon.co.uk<about:blank>>
Dear Dr Peiser,
Kardashev's scheme for classifying civilisations (even as refined by Carl
It was designed for use by astronomers, for whom the only usable definition
I propose a refinement of Kardashev's scheme, as per the following sketch.
Level 0: the biological evolution of a land-based animal with large brain
A threshold in brain power is crossed, which leads to --
Level 1: tribal society. Early humans with language, fire, stone tools,
Agricultural revolution leads to --
Level 2: either village society, based on subsistence agriculture, or
A refinement of social organisation leads to --
Level 3: regional civilisation, with cities supported by an agricultural
Scientific / industrial revolution based on fossil fuels leads to --
Level 4: global civilisation, with declarations of the rights of man,
Continued scientific / industrial revolution based on nuclear energy,
Level 5: interplanetary civilisation, based on solar power and nuclear
A further intensification of industrial power would lead to --
Level 6: interstellar civilisation, based on interstellar spaceflight and
Kardashev's levels 1, 2 and 3 should therefore be redefined as 4, 5 and 6.
It would also make the social and political implications of such a
Stephen Ashworth FBIS
**************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.6
: Fri Dec 03 2004 - 09:41:34 PST
Sagan) suffers from the major flaw that it does not connect with the study
of human history. (Ref: CCNet 156/2004 - 29 November 2004: TOWARDS A
PLANETARY CIVILISATION, item (2).)
of a civilisation is one capable of communicating over interstellar
distances. But this enables it to be completely ignored by historians,
politicians and social philosophers. The strongly progressive
philosophical foundation of Kardashev's scheme thus has no impact on the
strong denial of the reality of progress in much modern thought.
and hands capable of grasping tools.
art and artefacts. Apparently our species underwent a population jump as
it entered this stage. This level stable on the order of 100,000 years.
pastoral society, based on animal husbandry. Such life-support systems
allow a second jump in population density and overall numbers.
hinterland, strong social hierarchies, writing, monumental building,
employment of beasts of burden, adoption of the universal religions.
progressive marginalisation of universal religions by materialism, use of
printing and mass literacy, concentration of population in cities, and a
third population rise.
computing, materials technologies, etc leads to --
fusion, large-scale use of solar system resources, and with the boundaries
between organisms and machines increasingly blurring. Materialist
philosophy merges with a sense of the innate purpose of the universe.
Another population jump seems predictable.
colonisation, and on (?) antimatter production, (?) complete human/machine
symbiosis, and (?) unknown and unpredictable intellectual view of the
universe.
That would make explicit the continuous sequence of evolutionary
improvement possible from our pre-human ancestors a million years ago to
our post-human descendants a million years hence.
progressive philosophy clearly apparent to all.
Oxford, UK
1 December 2004
Stephen Ashworth, Oxford, U.K.
http://www.astronist.demon.co.uk/