Reconstructing Masanao Toda's theory of civilization: Ecological consideration

Abstract

This paper reexamines Masanao Toda's models of civilization and his urge theory presented in his book Man, Robot and Society (Toda, 1982). Although many of Toda's models and speculations match what we have found in the history, we suggest reinterpretations of his concepts of the second law of civilization and excess energy based on some recent literature on civilizations that collapsed in the human history as well as what we find in modern societies 50 years after his writings. Reconstructing his models with ecological reconsideration sheds light on some fundamental problems of industrial societies that not only exploited natural resources but also created professional modules that have suppressed our natural potentials and passions for creating our daily lives. We propose an LDP (local domestic products) approach to these problems by integrating Toda's urge theory with Wilber' s theory of evolution, where networks of individuals share creative activities in their own contexts using their local resources.