his 105 chapter 2
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HIS 105 Chapter 2. Four Great Revolutions in Thought and Religion. Changes in Thought and Religion 800-300 B.C.E. Some things in common: Occurred near river valley civilizations Born out of crisis These major changes don’t happen often - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
HIS 105Chapter 2
Four Great Revolutions in Thought and Religion
Changes in Thought and Religion 800-300 B.C.E.
Some things in common:– Occurred near river valley civilizations– Born out of crisis– These major changes don’t happen often– Had great influence on culture and culture helped
to spread ideas– These changes have endured over time
During 8th century B.C.E., Zhou Dynasty disintegrated
Chaos followed – Invasions– Rising merchant class changing old order– Old etiquette and old rituals changing– A search for new principles began
5th and 6th centuries B.C.E. gave Chinese society new thinkers: Confucius, Mencius, Xunzi, and Laozi
Their teachings were important then and they are still important today
Confucius
Also known as Kung Fuzi Born in 551 B.C.E. Educated in writing, music, and rituals Believed to be of lower nobility His father died when Confucius was very
young and his mother fell on hard times Worked in accounting and teaching
He was opinionated and outspoken Traveled from state to state with followers
looking for a ruler who would put his ideas into practice
Most saw his ideas as impractical His ideas or sayings are called his “Analects” He believed in moderation, propriety,
optimism, good sense, and wisdom
He was ethical and saw himself as a transmitter of tradition
He saw a proper order to society, relationships, and government
Confucius felt superior men were made, not born, and they should be the ones to govern
Others should show respect, obedience, and support to their superiors
Loyalty and obedience held society together
Felt that if everyone fulfilled his/her duties, then harmony would prevail
The well-being of society depends on the morality of its members
Confucianism was not adopted as the official philosophy of China until the second century B.C.E. during the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.E. – 9 C.E.)
Mencius (Meng Ko) (370 290 B.C.E.)
Believed that humans are inclined to be good The role of education is to uncover and
cultivate that innate goodness Stressed that government needed the
consent of the people to rule Said people had the right to rise up and
overthrow an oppressor or unjust government
Xunzi (300 – 237 B.C.E.)
Believed heaven was indifferent to whether China was ruled by a tyrant or a wise man
Believed human nature was bad or at least, desires and emotions, if unchecked, could lead to conflict
Emphasized education and etiquette as a restraint on behavior
Said strong, authoritarian government was needed to control humans
Laozi (Lao Tsu)
Had little use for government Recommended a retreat from society as a
way to solve suffering Contemplation of nature can help humans
find the Dao, the way, the mysterious Recommended a return to simplicity; become
a babe, an uncarved block Learn to be without learning
Felt knowledge was bad because it created distinctions
Learn to be without desires beyond the simple needs of nature
The basis of the political philosophy of Daoism is “not doing”
This means something between “doing nothing” and “being but not acting”
Rule without action The way never acts, yet nothing is left
undone Emphasis on withdrawal from the world,
communion with nature, and meditation
Xia Shang Zhou Qin ( 256-206 B.C.E.) (Shi Huangdi) Han ( 206 B.C.E. – 220 C.E.)
Qin
In 4th and 3rd centuries B.C.E., the Qin Dynasty grew more and more powerful, and Shi Huangdi, a warlord of the 3rd century B.C.E., united China under Qin rule
Shi Huangdi
Created a centralized state Had grandiose public works projects Experimented with bronze and ironworking Improved tools and weapons Freed peasants from bondage and allowed
them to own land Gained peasants’ loyalty
Peasants then joined the army to fight for Shi Huangdi
Followed the writings of the Legalists
Legalists
Founded by Shang Yang, a Qin ruler of the 4th century B.C.E.
Said power of China’s rulers was absolute Wanted to find true peace for China That required a unified country and a strong
state Favored conscription and saw war as a way
to extend a country’s power
Believed human nature was selfish and punishments should be severe and impartial
That which weakens the state should be punished
Laws should contain incentives for loyalty, bravery, obedience, diligence, and frugality
Saw merchants as parasites
Liked farmers
Legalism was the philosophy adopted by the Qin which finally destroyed the Zhou in 256 B.C.E. and unified China in 221 B.C.E.
Hinduism
Arose from Aryan society Aryans had a social hierarchy that would
evolve into the rigid Indian caste system Brahmans, who educated princes and were
advisors at court, also compiled and interpreted the Vedic texts
These Vedic texts provided the religion which shaped the lives of everyday people
In this new religion, Brahmans were at the top
There was a caste system with warriors, priests, and commoners
Later merchants, artisans, and peasants were added
The classes were called Varnas
Each varna was subdivided into occupational groups or caste
Holy men who did not labor were at the top Those who worked hard and cleaned up the
filth of society were at the bottom Boundaries between castes were rigid In each caste life was laid out
One’s caste and its accompanying duties became known as one’s Dharma
The idea of reincarnation determined one’s caste
A person’s life was full of merits and demerits, and these became known as one’s Karma
The idea of reincarnation kept people under control
Caste system stressed the importance of one’s obligations and loyalties
Buddhism
Founded by Siddhartha Gautama (566-486 B.C.E.)
Became known as the Buddha or the “enlightened one”
Stressed meditation By meditating, he saw his past lives and
learned how to stop the suffering of life
He then pledged to help others release themselves from it
The Buddha then spent the rest of his life teaching others the “middle path” between indulgence and asceticism
4 Noble Truths– All life is full of suffering– The source of suffering is desire– If you get rid of desire, you will no longer suffer– The path to this is eightfold: right understanding,
thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration
You will then achieve Nirvana
He emphasized compassion for all beings He gained a large following His followers became monks and spread his
message Buddhism provided an alternative to the
religion of the Brahmans Buddha retained the ideas of karma and
reincarnation but rejected the Vedas
Mahavira and the Jain Tradition
Jains were an Indian religious community who sought to extricate themselves from the material world and the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
They sought to eliminate evil thoughts and actions
They tried to have compassion for all sentient beings, hence vegetarianism
Hebrews
Had belief in one God – Monotheism Their monotheistic faith later influenced
Christianity and Islam It is thought that Moses led the Hebrews to
Palestine looking for a homeland as promised by Yahweh between 1900 and 1600 B.C.E.
They were encouraged to give up the worship of other gods and follow Yahweh and his laws
If they did, they would be protected These Jews felt they were then God’s
Chosen People
Beliefs:– One God– An overall divine plan– A divinely organized morality as spelled out in the
Torah (the Christian Old Testament)
Through this written book, Jews were able to hold onto their identity through all subsequent takeovers and dispersals
Greek Philosophy
Greeks asked questions about their lives and the universe without invoking God
This began an intellectual revolution using rational thinking to answer their questions
Their way of looking at humans and their world was encapsulated in their philosophies
Many rationally questioned their world:– Thales believed water was our primary substance– Anaximander believed humans originated in water
and evolved into their present state– Heraclitus said all is in motion; nothing ever really
exists– Parmenides & Zeno said reality is fixed; change is
an illusion of the senses
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
Three great Greek philosophers who were concerned with ethical, political, and religious issues
Socrates (470-399 B.C.E.)– Committed to searching for truth– Wanted moral self-enlightenment– “Know thyself” – Through discussion and questioning got others to
defend their views
Had many followers and many detractors who didn’t like to have their views questioned
He was condemned to death in 399 B.C.E. for corrupting the morals of youth because he was skeptical of religion
Felt we should use self-examination to get to the truth
Had a chance to go into exile but chose death because it was Athenian law and drank hemlock
Plato (429-347 B.C.E.)– Student of Socrates– Like Socrates, believed in the polis and its laws– Prolific writer– Founded the Academy in 386 B.C.E. in Athens– Taught others through dialogue and discussion– Grew up during Peloponnesian War– Experienced democracy and imperialism
– Felt humans were a pale image of what they could be
– Felt justice consists of each person doing what he/she is best suited for
– Taught Aristotle
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.)– pupil of Plato– Founded Lyceum where students gathered,
ordered, and analyzed all human knowledge– Stressed the importance of moderation in human
behavior and promoted virtue– Said every object has some purpose in the
universe– Was the tutor of Alexander the Great
Even though philosophers looked for truths of the universe, the rest of Greek citizens looked to their gods, who were styled after humans, for enlightenment; polytheism