"Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty and dies with chaos"

Human societies emerge from a state of uncertainty and disorder. In the earliest stages, people create structures—rules, hierarchies, customs—to bring an end to the unpredictability of existence. These foundational systems represent “order,” forming a basis for collective life: laws set boundaries for acceptable behavior, traditions grant identity, and authorities enforce stability. Order sacrifices some individual freedom but lays the groundwork upon which all higher human achievement is built. Without it, civilization cannot begin.

Once order is established, it becomes possible to broaden the realm of individual action. Liberty flourishes in the spaces carved out by stability: citizens are free to innovate, express themselves, form new institutions, and seek fulfillment without constant fear of violence or disorder. Liberty thus becomes the crucible of progress—art, science, and industry all advance when society permits a degree of experimentation and autonomy. The greatness of civilizations, in Durant’s reading, arises not merely from peace and security, but from the unleashing of human potential within the safe boundaries that order provides.

Yet the health of civilization is precarious. When liberty is pursued without balancing the needs of order, society risks tilting into chaos. If individual freedoms grow so unrestrained that respect for laws and customs erodes, old structures crumble. Trust vanishes; power fragments. The disorder that once was banished returns, overwhelming the creativity and prosperity liberty had enabled. In chaos, violence, uncertainty, and despair replace progress and security. The energies that built the civilization now turn inward, consuming it. Thus, Durant’s observation reflects a cycle: civilization can only be born and sustained when order and liberty exist in harmony. When either is neglected—order giving way to tyranny, or liberty to anarchy—society inevitably declines, revealing the delicate balance required for human flourishing.