{"id":4799,"date":"2026-10-21T12:39:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T09:39:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/?p=4799"},"modified":"2026-10-21T12:39:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T09:39:44","slug":"the-deeper-causes-of-decline-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/?p=4799","title":{"rendered":"THE DEEPER CAUSES OF DECLINE \u2014 Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Major General (Ret.) K. H. Konstantinidis<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who still uphold their moral values and believe in Humanism and in the spirit taught by the wise men of ancient Greece now realize that the abnormalities and upheavals shaking our age are the tragic consequences of humanity\u2019s intellectual and moral deviation and decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our leaders have set aside the theoretical sciences, which aim at the intellectual and moral elevation of the individual. Instead, since the late eighteenth century, when materialistic theories began to prevail, they have turned their attention toward the study of the natural sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This shift was bound to lead to the consequences we are experiencing today: the degradation of humanity\u2019s values and morals and its downward slide toward chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through their research, natural scientists sought to explain the mystery of our origin and existence. At the same time, they developed the conviction that human beings are capable of subjecting both Nature and Creation to their will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because science had indeed succeeded in explaining numerous natural phenomena, scientists believed\u2014or even imagined\u2014that it would also be possible to master the power that brings these phenomena into being, namely, Creation itself. In their naivety, however, they had failed to recognize\u2014as subsequently became evident\u2014that there are phenomena unknown to humanity, which people cannot yet even imagine, and which intervene in the overall functioning of Creation. These unknown phenomena, along with others that humanity has not yet explained, frequently exert a decisive influence and prove human assumptions wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such excessive beliefs in humanity\u2019s dominion over Nature contributed to the spread and strengthening of materialistic theories and, by extension, socialist theories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, in turn, contributed to the unrestrained behavior of individuals under the influence of these theories, which led them to regard themselves as superhuman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Materialistic theories fostered a pathological egocentrism among individuals, with tragic consequences: the disintegration of social unity, the incomprehensible and extremely bitter class struggles they engendered, and the contempt for human life, which is Nature\u2019s greatest gift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fragmentation of society created hostility and discord among people and an unquenchable hatred of one group toward another. A divided society, however, cannot produce either the greatest possible material output or the harmony required for the overall cultural advancement of society as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, individuals are deprived of the truth that could lead them to a world of prosperity and happiness, and they struggle alone to achieve these goals. Yet a glance at Nature is enough to show us that living beings belonging to the same group strive together, united in their efforts to secure food, safety, and reproduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A systematic form of superficial and incomplete knowledge perpetuates the destructive state of humanity today, with the result that a few prosper while the many suffer. Even those who prosper, however, live in fear for their own lives and for the preservation of their wealth indefinitely and without disruption in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another characteristic of our age is the fragmentation of knowledge and science. This has led humanity into the dreadful and distressing predicament in which it finds itself today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mechanical and technocratic civilization is itself fragmented, with the result that each field is unable to grasp the full range of consequences arising from technological civilization. Thus, each field advances independently and often recklessly, showing indifference to the fate of the environment and even to humanity\u2019s very existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fragmentation is repeated at every level of life, as the following examples illustrate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. In Science<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the creation of countless specializations, even within the same field of study, fragmentation has reached such an extent that an ophthalmologist may be unable to treat every eye condition without possessing the relevant subspecialty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. In History<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By dividing History into Prehistory, Archaeology, and Modern History, and by further subdividing each of these into separate specializations, it is as though different historical periods were being treated as the works of different peoples rather than as stages in their own evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. In Geography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Earth has been carved up not according to ethnic identity, but like a piece of baklava<\/em>, to serve the interests of the great powers. A glaring example of this absurdity is the Turkish-Libyan Memorandum of Understanding, which, according to the author, disregarded Crete and the Greek islands of the southeastern Aegean, without eliciting the necessary response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. In the Governance of the State<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The will of the people has been fragmented through the creation of numerous political parties lacking principles and values. The result is a perpetual internal \u201ccivil war\u201d among the various factions, which leads to the State\u2019s inability to act effectively or even to the complete neutralization of its power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, people are deprived of Direct Democracy, which, with the assistance of modern technology, could today enable citizens to express their views directly on all matters. Nevertheless, the medieval British system of \u201cRepresentative Democracy\u201d continues to be maintained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As far as Greece is concerned, the party-political system constitutes an obstacle that keeps our country lagging behind other developed Western nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(21 October 2026)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Major General (Ret.) Konstantinos Konstantinidis<\/strong>
Author \u2014 Member of the Society of Greek Writers<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amphiktyon Blog:<\/strong>
http:\/\/www.amphiktyon.blogspot.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amphiktyon Official Site:<\/strong>
http:\/\/www.amphiktyon.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Major General (Ret.) K. H. Konstantinidis People who still uphold their moral values and believe in Humanism and in the spirit taught by the wise men of ancient Greece now realize that the abnormalities and upheavals shaking our age are the tragic consequences of humanity\u2019s intellectual and moral deviation and decline. Our leaders have … <\/p>\n

\u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c7\u03af\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03b1\u03bd\u03ac\u03b3\u03bd\u03c9\u03c3\u03b7 \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 “THE DEEPER CAUSES OF DECLINE \u2014 Part I”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4799"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4800,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4799\/revisions\/4800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}