Reflection
In my view, a civilization is the changing human society from a previous one to the next. As such, civilization comprises of the advancements in culture, industry, science, and government (The History Guide, n.d). All these aspects of civilization are closely related the social-economic activity of the civilization as well as the settlement patterns, literacy, and all other aspects of livelihood. The main striking features of any civilization are the government, religion, and economic activities. It is also important to note that civilizations exist in particular regions, usually with an initial advantage, such as the Mesopotamia. Civilizations fail due to wars, natural disasters such as drought, among other factors that changes the economic activities of the civilization and the government.
The existence of government leads to fully established regulations that guide the interaction of the people. The regulations define what is wrong and bad, and the punishments and penalties associated with violations of the regulations. These regulations are called laws. All civilization has different laws defining the roles of each member of the society. I belief that laws establishes classes in the society exempting the ruling class from manual labor. If the laws are not fairly applicable to all citizens in a civilization, the citizens may riot against the civilization weakening it and, hence make the civilization vulnerable to external attacks.
Religion refers to the system of beliefs, culture, and practices that establishes a relationship between humans and a supreme being. Religions have symbols, places of worship, myths, and narratives explaining various aspects of the society. A specific mode of worship is also a main aspect of all regions. The laws and religion a civilization act as a basis of unity in a civilization. They also help in restoration of law and order. However, multiple regions in a single civilization maybe detrimental due to supremacy battle among the adherents.
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Work cited
The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History. Retrieved from http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/lecture1b.html on October 6, 2014.
