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Of all forms of being, society, or community, has the greatest element of determinability.

Its ontological status is itself most tenuous because apart from individual men, who are its `` matter '', tradition, the `` form '' of society exists only as a shared perception of truth.

The ontological status of society thus is constituted by the psychological status of society's members.

The content of that psychological status determines, ultimately, the content of civilization.

Those social, civilizational factors not rooted in the human spirit of the group, ultimately cease to exist.

Civilization itself -- tradition -- falls out of existence when the human spirit itself becomes confused.

Civilization is what man has made of himself.

Its massive contours are rooted in the simple need of man, since he is always incomplete, to complete himself.