The Case Against Civilization
&gt; But a man is not really convinced of a philosophic theory when he finds that something proves it. He is only really convinced when he finds that everything proves it. And the more converging reasons he finds pointing to this conviction, the more bewildered he is if asked suddenly to sum them up. Thus, if one asked an ordinary intelligent man, on the spur of the moment, &quot;Why do you prefer civilisation to savagery?&quot; he would look wildly round at object after object, and would only be able to answer vaguely, &quot;Why, there is that bookcase ... and the coals in the coal-scuttle ... and pianos ... and policemen.&quot; The whole case for civilisation is that the case for it is complex. It has done so many things. But that very multiplicity of proof which ought to make reply overwhelming makes reply impossible.<p>- G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy