In a theoretical world of 2 people, sure. The assumption here is that we avoid it collectively, not individually. There's a non-technical, non-material, cultural component; the civil in civilization, the social in society. There's an underlying assumption that just as we strive for say better technology and transport, we strive for better civil and social relationships collectively.
Our ability to structure our relationships, cities, and fundamental interactions in non-destructive ways that avoid disaster is just as much a technology and science of an advanced people as a mastery of metallurgy or physics.
This was fundamentally understood after WW2 by baby boomers parents but we've somehow collectively forgotten the pursuit. I really hope we don't need to have planetary catastrophe in order to reacquaint ourselves with merits of such projects.
Our ability to structure our relationships, cities, and fundamental interactions in non-destructive ways that avoid disaster is just as much a technology and science of an advanced people as a mastery of metallurgy or physics.
This was fundamentally understood after WW2 by baby boomers parents but we've somehow collectively forgotten the pursuit. I really hope we don't need to have planetary catastrophe in order to reacquaint ourselves with merits of such projects.