What do you think of this theory I came up with for my next sci-fi book?

[ren_faire_rose]

I don't know if there is a similar theory, but I would have to say that your basic idea is most logical - people are essentially lazy, self-centered and very active / inventive when it comes to coming up with ways to make life easier. If you look at Independence Day / ID4, the odds are that the world would work together for a few years and that great strides would be made to restore the communication network while making sure that the world's radio waves never left our atmosphere...but beyond that, it would soon be business as usual

 

[WriterinNeed]

OK, it goes as follows.
If humanity was to be nearly completely wiped out (ie, only tens of thousands left), all mechanical systems lost, all computers and databases gone, all history books gone, would we redevelop into relatively the same state that we were just before we hit that near-extinction event?
The idea is that they are going to be wiped out by an alien race, and they'll develop back into what they were before being destroyed. That's not really the meat and potatoes of the story, and it is subject to change. I just want to know what you think of the theory, if it's credible, and if there is a theory out there similar to it.
Thanks.