Beer and Civilization
Beer Production and the Birth of Civilization
At various points in human history, developments in civilization have occurred due to various catalysts. Eighteenth century was characterized by the emergence of the Enlightenment, where secularization and rationalization became the dominant forms of socio-political thinking. Nineteenth century, meanwhile, was known for giving way to Industrial Revolution, leading to the emergence and development of modernism and capitalism that prevailed from the 20th century to the present. Despite these catalysts and developments in civilization at every point in history, the question of how civilization began is an interesting inquiry, allowing us to understand when humanity had truly begun its ascent towards higher social and intellectual progress.
One of the theories presented about the origin of civilization is the theory that the production of beer served as the catalyst for a new civilization to begin. Beer production, was traced back 10,000 years ago, when extant early human societies included the Sumerians and Egyptians, among others. The theory posits that with the discovery of beer and beer-making, human societies ceased being nomadic; the desire to make beer out of barley necessitated sedentary living -- that is, raising livestock and planting crops. Sedentary living, consequently, paved the way for a culture and eventually, a civilization to begin.
However, this theory was also negated by other arguments that assert that it was bread-making, and not beer-making that helped initiate the emergence of civilization. Thus, this paper presents the pros and cons of the theory, specifically centering on information that support arguments for and against the "beer theory of civilization."
Arguing for the beer theory of civilization, Stoppkotte (2001), in his report presented the possibility that indeed, beer had been one of the primary factors that helped develop civilization. His report established...
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