The paper addresses the rise of civilisations through economic complexes. Four economic bases to an urban-industrial civilisation are discussed: market society, industrialism, capitalism and socialism. The assumptions of ‘classic liberalism’ are shown to have affinities with ‘classic Marxism’: secularism, rationalism, humanism and freedom. Both schools of thought envisaged the Enlightenment as a movement leading to a universal civilisation. Theories of ‘industrial society’ are postulated as creating a modern civilization which takes a global form. In this context, the economic basis of a universal civilisation is confronted by alternative forms of capitalism. Liberal and socialist forms of industrial and post-industrial societies claim to be separate forms of civilisation. The paper maintains that conflicts between different ‘varieties of capitalism’ do not constitute ‘clashes between civilisations’ but represent divergent geo-political interests. It is contended that the state socialist societies presented a different civilisational type of industrial society.