"I know we've been forced to make difficult decisions to save our human civilization, but to be human means to care for each other, and civilization means to work together to create a better life. If that's true then there's nothing human and nothing civilized about what we're doing here." (Roland Emerich, 2012)
In the recent film, 2012, the idea of civilization arises as an issue around the point that could be considered as the climax of the movie. This part of the film has the protagonist bring up the question as to what it means to be civilized and human in order to save a very large number of people.
Emerich's view on the definition of civilization isn't at all specific in this quote but the context it is used in helps to impress upon us the significance of the equality of human lives. Civilization being a means to create a better life through human relationships is essentially a pillar of what the definition of being civilized is. Human beings helping each other in order to move forward with discoveries, wealth, and cultural advancement is constantly something that is seen in history when new eras rise and old ones fall. Therefore, Emerich's mention of civilization within his film doesn't at all stray from the truth of what we could consider being civilized human beings.
