Civilizations die from philosophical calm, irony, and the sense of fair play quite as surely as they die of debauchery.
When a man wantonly destroys one of the works of man we call him a vandal. When he destroys one of the works of god we call him a sportsman.
Few people have ever seriously wished to be exclusively rational. The good life which most desire is a life warmed by passions and touched with that ceremonial grace which is impossible without some affectionate loyalty to traditional forms and ceremonies.
If people destroy something replaceable made by mankind, they are called vandals if they destroy something irreplaceable made by God, they are called developers.
Technology made large populations possible, large populations now make technology indispensable.