There has been a strong tendency to use civilization and culture interchangeably / as though they mean the same thing, / but they are not the same. /

 

The word civilization is based on the Latin civis，inhabitant of a city. / Thus its most essential meaning is the ability of people / to live together harmoniously in cities, in social groupings. / From this definition it would seem / that certain insects, such as ants or bees，are also civilized, / which live and work together in social groups. / But there is more to civilization, / and that is what culture brings to it. / So, civilization is inseparable from culture. /

 

The word culture is derived / from the Latin verb colere，till the soil. / Most of its definitions suggest a process / of starting and promoting growth and development. / In its modern use the word culture refers / to all the positive aspect and achievements of humanity / that make mankind different from the rest of the animal world. / Culture has grown out of creativity, / a characteristic that seems to be unique to human beings. /