Premise of the Theory of Civilisation
From 'Civilisation Defined' by P Atkinson (27-May-20)

Understanding is the bestowing of meaning upon observations.

Meaning is obtained by applying beliefs about:

1. Right and Wrong (Religion) decided by the beliefs that Control the Understanding by dictating what to do and what not to do, which is the morality of the understanding:
   • Must exist before understanding can occur.
   • is permanent as it is formed during the creation of the understanding by the experiences of infancy.
   • is the personality, or character, of the understanding as it dictates behaviour.
   • Must be either:
     • Selfish: Where the set of beliefs reveres "Me" ahead of all other considerations, including truth, which becomes what private fears and fancies demand, so the understanding is Insane.
       OR
     • Unselfish: Where the set of beliefs reveres "Us", the community, ahead of all other considerations, which in turn demands that private fears and fancies be ignored in realising truth, so the understanding is Sane.
2. Cause and Effect (Science) decided by the beliefs that are the experience, or knowledge, of the understanding. They are collected and refined throughout the life of the understanding and stored in memory. This accumulation of knowledge allows the recognition of patterns in the knowledge, which results in the development of Abstract Tools that enhance the power of the understanding, such as: Recognition of truth from falsity; Logic; Mathematics.

Language is the exercise of understanding.