Type 6 Societies

Wealth and prosperity signal an Age of Discovery and an Industrial Revolution, permanently transforming this society, and eventually ushering in the Atomic Age and the dawn of space exploration. Space will become the Final Frontier --the only remaining way for this civilization to expand.

The Industrial revolution and its underlying philosophy (that things of a type should be identical and interchangeable) will influence society from here onward. (picture from Getty Images)

This civilization acts on a planetary stage, and will be a worldwide influence --the main threats to such a society are other nations. Any wars between two such powers will be World Wars. With the development of advanced physics, the deployment of nuclear weapons is likely, and the possibility of global thermonuclear armageddon is a new and frightening concept. This in turn leads to the development of espionage and proxy warfare --concepts that would have been unusual, dishonourable, or even incomprehensible in the previous age.

Footprint: Global.

Sustainable Population: Hundred millions.

Government: Representative parliament, elected monarchy, collectivism (driven by more widespread education). This society is too large for a tyrant to maintain control --rebellions are an inevitability, and a functional government will need to maintain a "release valve," giving a voice to the disenfranchised via representation.

Bureaucracy: Labyrinthine, decentralized. Separate committees, directorates, and ministries will exist both inside and outside the government itself --the Civil Service is well-established.

Language: Advanced and variegated into local dialects (reflecting both geography and social class).

Literacy: Widespread, with a well-established mass-media (expect newspapers and an organized news broadcasting industry).

Enough of the population is now literate for newspapers to be a viable business. (Newsies, 1992)

Network: Industrialized communication systems are forming (post, telephone, radio, datanet, etc). A separate, more advanced and secure network likely exists for the exclusive use of the government/military.

Religion: Heavily organized, denominational (both through schism and through regional assimilation of folk traditions). Possibly losing political influence due to lack of a united front, and probably under assault by a growing rationalist movement.

Science: Codified into distinct branches. Astronomy is now less important for timekeeping and navigation, and is now becoming concerned with science and stellar mechanics. Physics will be a popular field of study, with forays into nuclear fission as an energy source. Aeronautics will likely be developed into a professional field. Engineers are studying rocketry and aerospace engineering.

Medicine: Functional mechanical prosthetics exist, and medicine is aware of microbiology. Even the smallest towns will have a licensed doctor, though fully-staffed state-of-the-art hospitals are restricted to larger cities. Most surgeries are survivable, and pharmacology is beginning to make use of synthesized compounds in medication. A growing understanding of genetics may trigger a eugenics movement.

Education: Formal childhood education becomes common, with multiple tiers of academics available for adults (via colleges, universities, and academies), and the concept of "childhood" will become codified in culture (with legal protections, and industries designed to take advantage of it). Higher education is no longer restricted to the wealthy, though practical considerations will make education a challenge for poorer communities. Collective training is replacing one-on-one apprenticing (due to the large population and the need for large industrial workforces --knowing how to operate a steam press is more important than academic excellence).

Energy: Animal labour and chattel slavery are gradually fading due to inefficiency (though many factories are essentially slave-farms in a new form). Use of harnessed natural resources is sophisticated, and technologically-dependent energy sources (hydroelectric power, fuel cells, nuclear energy) are becoming vital --an Atomic Age is beginning. These energy sources are dependent on industrial technology, and the loss of infrastructure due to war or disaster could be cataclysmic.

The Genii established large underground cities relying on hydroelectric power, in order to hide from their enemies while developing nuclear technology. (Stargate Atlantis, 2004)

Industry: Increasingly mechanized; mass-production is widespread, and cities usually boast several large factories. Production and trade are almost constant. The days of famous craftsmen are effectively over --factory-owners will accept contracts for custom work, but it will be done by their employees, who may go unrecognized.

Military: Wealthy and politically influential; large, specialized, and proficient in large-scale warfare: the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines each have distinct responsibilities. World Wars are likely. Warfare has become mechanized; mounted cavalry is replaced with mechanized armour, and projectile weapons make blades obsolete. Atomic weapons capable of destroying cities are likely --espionage (for information) develops into covert warfare (to eliminate targets) as a means to avoid deployment of these weapons.

A mature Type-6 society is capable of deploying thermonuclear weapons. (image from amazfacts.com)

Economy: Massive and diverse, and likely interconnected on a global scale. Raw materials, fuel, and finished goods will flow constantly from remote mines to factories, and from factories to warehouses, and thence to retailers. Organized shopping centres will be common in most cities and towns. Much of the national economy will be dedicated to maintaining the military/industrial complex (which will itself be considered vital to maintaining the economy, in the face of international competition and military brinksmanship). Increased security will signal a downswing in crime --the professional criminals of the previous era have become more successful as respected businessmen and political figures.

Food: Industrialized farming, with international trade for expensive delicacies (used as status symbols). Most food will be processed for transport, and every house will have a refrigerator and freezer. Cheaper food will be heavily-processed and mass-produced --the age of "fast food" has arrived, catering to workers and businesspeople with short lunch breaks. More elaborate meals will be reserved for supper and holiday feasts. Some food crops will be deliberately bred for higher yield and nutrient content.

Travel: The country will have a complex internal logistical network of roads, rail networks, and flight paths. International travel will be corporatized (both for budget and safety), with major travel corporations banking on their safe reputations, while smaller companies offer cheaper but riskier service. Exotic vacations are a habit of the wealthy, though work-related international travel will also be common. Established trade routes cross the world, protected by dedicated military forces,

Spaceflight: Limited government/military experimentation (rockets capable of placing satellites in low planetary orbit), with a central government agency providing flight control and administration. The first manned (orbital) spaceflight will probably occur here, and signal the beginning of a transition to Type-7.

At Type-6, a civilization begins to take its first steps off the planet. (The Wings of Honnêamise, 1987)

Alien contact: Hostile. This society will likely be surrounded by similarly powerful enemies, and its military-industrial complex will thrive on paranoia and the hunger for more advanced technology: alien visitors will likely be seen either as precursors to invasion or as messiah figures (or as potential fodder for conquest). This society will probably be broadcasting radio waves, making them detectable from several light-years away, and the effects of industrialization on this planet's atmosphere will be immediately visible. Conversely, this society may detect alien activities on nearby planets, and will likely notice a starship appearing within its orbital space. The probability of alien life will be scientifically recognized, and a passive search may be under way.

Examples (reality): British Empire, Republic of China, USSR, USA (most of 20th Century).
Examples (fiction): The Grid, Magna Roma, Prester, Langara, the Genii, Atlas, Fire Nation, Earth Empire under Kuvira. Because of American influence, most media depicting the 20th century will depict a Type-6 society.