Civilisation: Its Cause and Cure; and Other Essays

"Civilisation: Its Cause and Cure; and Other Essays" by Edward Carpenter is a series of writings that critically considers the structure of society in the late 1800s. The compilation thinks carefully about civilization, proposing that it might be a sickness that humanity must move through, stating that civilizations have in the past given in to different problems, and that real wellness could be found again by going back to simpler lives. Carpenter makes a case for a fresh awareness of what makes up human happiness through writings that investigate the characteristics of society, science, and morals. The book starts with an introduction that makes you think, where Carpenter remembers how his first piece, "Civilisation," was taken when he gave it as a lecture to the Fabian Society. He implies that civilization, which was previously viewed as a perfect state, has instead proven to be filled with disease-like signs such as social conflict and individualism, which takes away from the integrity of human nature. Carpenter strongly claims that the physical and mental battles of today's culture point to a need for review and a possible return to conditions more in tune with the natural world, promoting a greater look into individual and collective health as people advance.