What does belonging to the world mean

The narrator then asks Ishmael what it means to "belong to the world" at this point in history (245). Ishmael points out that being civilized does not require one to destroy the world, or make one incapable of living harmlessly. The only necessity of belonging to the world is that one follows the peacekeeping law by giving other species the chance to grow and prosper. Man ought to see civilization as a chance to be leaders in the community of life, not its only criminals and destroyers.