Drawing from Tao Te Ching 59, we critique the idea that cultures have a fixed life span. Surveying the longevity of various societies from the Indigenous Australians to the end of Imperial China in the twentieth century, we suggest that Lao Tzu was right that a deeply rooted, maternal, nurturing society that is adaptable and respects its natural resources can restrain its predation and outlast drastic changes. We also discuss why education in America doesn't just get a nice aesthetic boost from the humanities and creative art but depends on such things for its long term survival.

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