在考古研究与文明探源中,宏伟的纪念性建筑如金字塔、宫殿、庙宇陵墓常被视为文明灿烂程度的重要标志。本文中,布鲁斯·特里格借鉴热动力学方法来看待这个问题,并用“最省力”原则来剖析这种毫无回报的能量投入。热动力学用计算或衡量社会能量投入的劳力和数量来衡量这个社会的权力和复杂化程度,随着社会复杂化的进程和文明的起源,人类的生产方式发生了一种重大的变化。一般来说,无论是动物还是人类的生存都遵循一种“最省力”的原则,即在从事任何活动如生产和分配食物和其他资源时都力求节省能量,也即我们今天所谓的讲究“效益”。“最省力”原则完全不适用于祭祀建筑的营造和奢侈品的生产,而表现了一种“显赫消费”的特点。如果权力经济主导着这些物品的生产,那么消耗能量、特别以一种非实用目的来消耗他人能量的方式便成为衡量权力大小的标志。于是,权力能够从象征性上予以表达和强化的最基本方式,就是为非实用的目的而消费能量。从经济学角度来说,权力的“显赫消费”和全部依赖社会剩余产品的特点,很容易损害支撑这个社会系统存在的经济基础。当统治阶层将大量的社会资源和能量投入毫无回报和经济效益可言的祭祀和炫耀活动中去的时候,其结果很快就会达到开始损害其经济基础一点。当整个社会的运转完全为了维持等级体制而非供养民生,当“显赫消费”逐渐开始透支能量和耗竭资源、无法再从物质上来维持统治阶层的神圣地位时,这个复杂社会的崩溃就不可避免。为什么考古学上所谓“满天星斗”的史前文明大部分都是流星一闪,究其原因可能可以从权力的政治经济学上来找答案。 In the study of archeology and the origin of civilization, magnificent monuments such as pyramids, palaces and temples are often regarded as important symbols of the splendor of civilization. In this article, Bruce Trig treats the problem with the method of thermodynamics and analyzes the unmanaged energy input with the principle of “least effort.” Thermodynamics measures the power and sophistication of a society by calculating or measuring the amount of labor and energy invested in social energy. With the process of social complication and the origin of civilization, a major change has taken place in the mode of production of mankind. In general, both animal and human life follow a principle of “least effort” that seeks to save energy when engaging in any activity, such as the production and distribution of food and other resources, what we call today “benefit”. The principle of “least effort” is completely unsuitable for the construction of sacrificial buildings and the production of luxury goods, but shows the characteristic of “outstanding consumption”. If the power economy dominates the production of these goods, the way to consume energy, especially to consume others’ energy for a non-useful purpose, becomes a measure of power. Thus, the most basic way in which power can be symbolically expressed and strengthened is to expend energy for non-practical purposes. From an economic point of view, the “superior consumption” of power and its reliance on the features of social surplus products can easily undermine the economic foundation that underpins the existence of this social system. When the ruling class invests large amounts of social resources and energy into ritual and display activities with no return and economic benefits, the result will soon reach the point where it will begin to undermine its economic foundation. When the whole society is functioning solely for the sake of maintaining a hierarchy rather than for the livelihood of the people, the collapse of a complex society can no longer be achieved when the “consummate consumption” gradually begins to overdraw the energy and drain resources and can no longer sustain the dominance of the ruling class physically avoid. Why archeology so-called “gypsophila” most of the prehistoric civilization are meteor flash, the reason may be from the power of political economy to find the answer.