Final answer:
In pre-civilization times, people primarily attributed illnesses to supernatural causes, such as spiritual or religious disfavor. Natural explanations for disease, like those suggested by Hippocrates, began to emerge later, challenging these early beliefs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Illness in Pre-Civilization Societies
In pre-civilization times, illness was primarily viewed through a lens of supernatural causes. People commonly attributed sickness to spiritual or religious factors, including the displeasure of gods or the influence of malevolent spirits. Examples from history, such as the quarantining of individuals with leprosy as mentioned in the Bible, indicate that some civilizations developed an understanding that diseases could be transmissible, though the true nature of pathogen-based diseases was not yet comprehended. It was the insights of figures like Hippocrates who began to challenge the supernatural perspective by proposing natural causes for diseases.
Therefore, in answer to the student's question about how people in pre-civilization viewed illness, a) Supernatural causes is the most accurate description. This view predominated until the development and acceptance of germ theory and an understanding of cleanliness, contagion, and genetic predisposition in much later historical periods.