vilizations throughout human history have risen to greatness but later collapse into ruin. Can there be a permanent society, or are all doomed to decline? In the first part of this book, the author constructs several arguments based on parallels he observed in civilizations of antiquity. The reasons for the rise of various civilizations, and the forces which contribute to their success, are discussed. Hubbard proceeds to establish points surrounding human nature and racial identity, religious adherence, and the prevalence of rationality and reason: these attributes of mankind, when in harmony, establish sophisticated and prospering civilizations. For the author, when these traits are upset - as in conflicts between individual values and the requirements of the state - decline will set in. The overemphasis of the competitive traits of man likewise lead to a decline in moral and social cohesiveness.