I had an interesting discussion with a good friend of mine a little while ago. He told me about a sociology text-book that he had been reading that made him realize the importance of laws in forming a civilized society that neutralizes the need for savage behavior in humanity. He further indicated that civilized nations are less savage then others but that concept gave me pause: It occured to me that, aside from the argument that "civilized" societies are not in fact inherently less savage than other, more loosely defined groups of people; how does that statement apply to our modern age of civilization?
As we are all no doubt well aware, the status quo of our society follows one of mindless materialism, stunted growth and altogether meaningless pursuits. How is it that the core of a society can be so un-enlightened, while the individuals and counter-culture movements that split off from a societies core social stucture often achieve higher standards of culture and spiritual growth?