But in either case my thought is that societies where homicide has been more acceptable (probably considered akin to euthanasia) are not the ones which have succeeded; is this a coincidence, or could it be the case that in the long run or on the average, societies with a more "sound" set of ethics tend to prevail?
China is one of the (if not THE) oldest societies with a fairly continuous set of laws (or ethics, or standards, or mores, if you prefer) on the globe. They're not the richest country on earth, but they are one of the most populous and longest lasting. And it's only been recently (in millennial terms) that the upper class stopped having de jure power of life and death over the lower classes. In fact, they may still have that de facto power; I'm not familiar enough with the culture to know. And I know I'm simplifying things quite a bit, but I think that's appropriate for this forum.
In what sense would you say that that culture is not successful? And China is only one example; there are quite a few others, most in the Far East.
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timeasmymeasure
Define "succeeded" for me?
Date: 2003-10-28 11:16 am (UTC)China is one of the (if not THE) oldest societies with a fairly continuous set of laws (or ethics, or standards, or mores, if you prefer) on the globe. They're not the richest country on earth, but they are one of the most populous and longest lasting. And it's only been recently (in millennial terms) that the upper class stopped having de jure power of life and death over the lower classes. In fact, they may still have that de facto power; I'm not familiar enough with the culture to know. And I know I'm simplifying things quite a bit, but I think that's appropriate for this forum.
In what sense would you say that that culture is not successful? And China is only one example; there are quite a few others, most in the Far East.