Based on the teachings of Zarathustra Proclaimed that visions
revealed to him by the supreme god, whom he called Ahura Mazda
(wise lord) Influence of Zoroastrian religion can be found in
Judaism and Christianity, for example, the concept of good and evil
Once the religion of the Persian Empire A force of light and
goodness and force of evil Cosmic struggle between good and evil
People must choose Heaven and Hell Avesta sacred text
Slide 3
Lived in China during the Warring states period and sought to
restore order to China Students recorded his teachings in the
Analects Believed in five constant relationships ruler and subject,
father and son, husband and wife, older brother and younger
brother, and older friend and younger friend The superior in the
relationship had to set a good example while the inferior had to
obey
Slide 4
Does not address philosophical or religious questions Wanted to
end the Warring States period The best way to promote good
government is to hire people who were well educated and
conscientious focused on the formation of Junzi (superior
individuals) Ren courteousness, respectfulness, loyalty Li a sense
of propriety, appropriate behavior Xiao filial piety, respect by
children for parents and other elders Moral integrity and fair
judgment
Slide 5
An alternative solution to end the Warring States period
contrary to Confucian beliefs Central concept Dao or the way or the
way of nature Humans should stop trying to achieve personal goals
and live very simply in order to achieve harmony with nature Wuwei
important moral trait whereby people remove themselves from worldly
affairs Ideal societal structure self-sufficient communities Yin
Yang how seemingly contrary forces are interconnected
Slide 6
One of the major philosophies that emerged from the Hundred
Schools of Thought during the Warring States period Based on the
goal of expanding and strengthening the state at all costs
Described as ruthless and efficient Strict laws with harsh
punishments lessen number and severity of crimes Notable people:
Shang Yang and Han Feizi Used by the Qin dynasty, led by Shi
Huangdi, to end Warring States period
Slide 7
Used Legalist philosophy to restore order and stability to
China and end the Warring States period Centralized bureaucracy
ruled the state Qin expanded their empire Unified China
Standardized weights and measures Standardized script Short-lived
because of strict laws and harsh punishments
Slide 8
Self-proclaimed first emperor of China reigned fourteen years,
established centralized rule through large-scale political
organization Central bureaucracy Built roads to enhance and
expedite communication and movement of armies; standardized laws,
currencies, weights and measures, and Chinese script; and built
defensive walls, including linking sections of the Great Wall
Executed anyone who criticized his regime burned 460 Confucian
scholars alive for their critical comments
Slide 9
Claiming the mandate of heaven, Liu Bang centralized rule
started the longest lasting Chinese dynasty the Han (206 B.C.E. 220
C.E.) Demand for Chinese silk in India, Persia, Mesopotamia, and
the Roman Empire led to development of trade routes (the silk
roads) Building of roads and canals to increase trade and
communication Established examination system to select candidates
for government service
Slide 10
Han emperor who had a problem recruiting qualified people for
government posts because there was no uniform system of public
education Established an imperial university to educate government
officials in 124 B.C.E. Although the government was based on
Legalist principles, the university focused its instruction on
Confucianism out of necessity it was the only Chinese belief system
developed enough to establish a curriculum Policy of imperial
expansion led to invasions of northern Vietnam and Korea (had to
pay tribute)
Slide 11
Ignoring the problem of inequitable land distribution led to
increased banditry and rebellions led by disgruntled peasants The
Yellow Turban uprising (rebels wore yellow headgear) Government
used the military to suppress rebellions but the collective efforts
of peasants weakened the Han Factions developed in courts that
effected the central government This internal weakness led to the
downfall of the empire, which was divided into several large
kingdoms
Slide 12
Collapsed divisions within the ruling elite limited the
effectiveness of the government Issues land distribution, private
armies, unrest, economic decline Rise in epidemics late second,
early third centuries led to the Yellow Turban Rebellion (rebels
yellow turbans represented their peasant status and their ties to
the earth) Dynasty in 220 C.E. formally ended
Slide 13
A classical Indian dynasty that developed out of a political
void created by the failed invasions of Persian emperor Darius then
controlled by the kingdom of Magadha for two centuries Flourished
during the late 320s B.C.E., when Chandragupta Maurya took over and
laid the foundations for a centralized, unified government Ashoka
(ruled 268-232 B.C.E.) conquered the kingdom of Kalinga through
bloody battles but changed as a result Ashoka built irrigation
systems, constructed roads, supported Buddhism, and encouraged
religious tolerance Ashokas death led to decline of empire
Slide 14
Chandra Gupta laid foundations for empire by making alliances
with powerful families in the Ganges; he conquered many; others
chose to form tributary alliances with Guptas Government, both
policy and administration, was left to the locals; Gupta did not
impose uniform law; brought stability and prosperity Golden age of
Hindu culture concept of zero, infinity, and decimal system
developed great art and literature in Sanskrit (ancient Indian
language) Decline caused by invasions by the White Huns nomadic
people from central Asia dynasty continued in name only
Slide 15
The basic beliefs and concepts of classical Hinduism were all
in place by at least 200s B.C.E. Central belief all time and space
is the World Soul, or the Brahman (Ultimate Reality) All things
that exist are reflections of Brahmans perfection Every living
creature has its own individual soul, known as atman However, the
material world is an illusion (maya) This illusion causes suffering
and prevents the individual soul from perceiving or being connected
with the world Soul The goal of existence is to rejoin ones atman
with Brahman
Slide 16
A cycle of life, death and rebirth called the wheel of life
(samsara) According to the laws of deeds (karma), a persons actions
in one life will have consequences in a future life Good actions
and spiritual discipline will reduce an atmans (individual souls)
karmic debt, leading one to a greater understanding of moral duty
(dharma) When a person has eliminated his or her karmic debt and
achieved a sufficient understanding of his dharma, his or her atman
gains release (moksha) from samsara the atman is free to join with
the Brahman
Slide 17
In addition to the Brahman, Hinduism recognizes literally
hundreds of gods and goddesses this makes it a polytheistic
religion However, Hindus consider all deities to be avatars, or
incarnations of the Brahman One of the best known features of Hindu
belief involves the caste system (origins date back to Aryan
migration to India) Priests (brahmins), warriors and political
rulers (kshatriyas), commoners (vaishyas), and servants and members
of lower class (shudras) As time went on, category of untouchables
(most degrading tasks) Birth determined caste Many subdivisions
over time men superior to women
Slide 18
Indian belief system popularized by Vardhamana Mahavira (the
great hero) Disciples referred to Mahavira as Jina (the conqueror)
and called themselves Jains Practiced ahimsa nonviolence to living
things or their souls Extremists swept ground as they walked to
avoid harming insects (souls) Not practical, but attractive because
if all creatures possessed a soul, there should not be rigid social
classes (especially popular among lower classes)
Slide 19
Originating in India Founder, Siddhartha Gautama (563-483
B.C.E.) Spread China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Korea, etc. Two
major schools Theravada (Hinayana) and Mahayana (with its concept
of the Bodhisattva) When ventured outside palace, Siddhartha was
appalled by the pain and poverty he saw renounced wealth After six
years of self-deprivation, decided that neither extreme fasting and
asceticism or its opposite led to insight While following middle
way, achieved enlightenment (became Buddha or enlightened one)
Slide 20
Four Noble Truths human existence is inseparable from
suffering, the cause of suffering is desire, suffering is
extinguished by extinguishing desire, desire may be extinguished by
following the Eightfold Path The Eightfold Path know the truth,
resist evil, do nothing to hurt others, respect all forms of life,
work for the well-being of others before that of yourself, free
your mind of evil, control your thoughts, practice meditation Five
Moral Rules do not kill, do not take what is not given, do not
speak falsely, do not drink intoxicants, do not be unchaste Nirvana
means to extinguish, liberation from samsara (the wheel of life,
death, reincarnation)
Slide 21
After the Buddhas death in 483 B.C.E., the tradition he founded
not only spread throughout Asia but split into various
denominations The older movement is Theravada (Way of the Elders)
Buddhism, also referred to as Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle) Buddhism
prominent in south and southeast Asia remains closer in spirit to
Buddhas actual teachings simplicity, meditation, nirvana as
renunciation of self and human consciousness Buddha not a deity
Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) Japan, Korea, Tibet, and parts of China
more elaborate forms and ritual developed pantheons of deities
bodhisattvas(souls achieved enlightenment but remained in earthly
realm to help others) nirvana came to resemble a kind of heaven as
opposed to suppression of self
Slide 22
Located on the Greek mainland 1450-1150 B.C.E. Trading society
Wealthy through conquest (they are best known for fighting the
Trojan War, ca. 1250 B.C.E.) Around 1200 B.C.E., a series of
Greek-speaking tribes invaded the southeastern tip of Europe, as
well as nearby islands Over time, these tribes joined together into
a single culture, the Greeks (or, as they called themselves,
Hellenes These years of gradual cultural union are known as the
Greek Dark Ages (1150-800 B.C.E.) Common language and religion but
low level political and social development
Slide 23
Rugged, mountainous terrain and the fact that so many of the
Greeks lived on islands prevented them from creating a single
nation Instead formed dozens of independent city- states It is from
the Greek word city-state, polis, that the word politic comes
Sparta a key Greek city-state Sparta a rigid, slave-holding
dictatorship that created the Greek worlds most effective and most
feared army Slavery was common in all Greek city-states, but most
prevalent in militaristic Sparta with is helots or Spartan
slaves
Slide 24
Athens was a significant Greek polis or city-state Athens
became a culturally and politically advanced city that gained
wealth through trade and power thanks to its naval strength Ancient
Greeces most significant political innovation came from the city of
Athens This was democracy, or rule by the people Democratic
government began in Athens in 508 B.C.E. It reached its peak under
the leadership of the statesman Pericles (ca. 461-429 B.C.E.) But
women and slaves were excluded from Athenian political life, and
did not have the right to vote Yet most representative government
in ancient world
Slide 25
During the Greeks classical period (ca. 500-338 B.C.E.), the
Greeks fought two major wars with the Persians, in 492 to 490
B.C.E. and 480 to 479 B.C.E. In both cases, the Persians attempted
to invade Greece, only to be driven back, thanks mainly to Spartan
and Athenian leadership Afterward, competition between Sparta and
Athens for dominance over the Greek world led to a long and
devastating civil conflict known as the Peloponnesian War (431-404
B.C.E) Although Sparta and its allies won the war, the conflict
left all of Greeces city-states weakened
Slide 26
Macedonia was a region to the north of Greece whose people were
related to the Greeks, but not as politically or socially advanced
It was this Greek-Macedonian kingdom that the ancient worlds most
skilled general, Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.E.), launched one
of the most successful military campaigns of all time In less than
a decade, Alexander crossed into Asia, took over the Persian
Empire, and conquered territory all the way to the borderlands of
India Before dying at the age of thirty-three of exhaustion,
alcoholism, and fever he had led an army of 30,000 to 50,000 troops
more than 20,000 miles Alexander spread Greek culture
Slide 27
The Greeks general cultural outlook is known as Hellenism
(after the Greeks own name for Greece, Hellas) Although the Greeks
worshipped a number of gods, Hellenism tended to be more worldly
and rational than other ancient cultural traditions Science was
important The celebration of life and the experience of being human
was a hallmark of Hellenic culture Western thought rests on the
intellectual foundation established by the philosophers Socrates,
Plato, and Aristotle Aristotles writings on logic, observation, and
experimentation set into place a mode of scientific inquiry Greek
architecture columns
Slide 28
The city of Rome, traditionally considered to have been founded
in 753 B.C.E. From their homeland on the Italian peninsula, the
Romans gradually spread outward For several centuries, Rome was
governed by a monarchy, foreign overlords (Etruscans), but in 509
B.C.E., the Romans rebelled and formed a new government called a
republic (509-31 B.C.E.) During the republican period, tensions
existed between plebeian (lower classes) and patricians (upper)
classes Through compromise and negotiation, plebeians gained rights
But only patricians elected senators
Slide 29
Civil wars from 91 to 30 B.C.E. power began to fall into the
hands of a single ruler most famous was Julius Caesar assassinated
in 44 B.C.E. by 31 B.C.E. first emperor Octavian renamed Caesar
Augustus Empire for approximately five centuries 31 B.C.E. to 476
C.E. Huge territory from Spain in west to Asia Minor in east, from
northern Africa in south to British Isles in north But
overextension of military and political strength made it difficult
to govern Asiatic and Germanic barbarians attacked
Slide 30
To begin with, the Romans who were great admirers of Greek
culture, preserved for generations to come the Hellenic philosophy,
literature, and scientific learning of ancient Greece The Romans
were master builders and engineers The ideal of Roman imperial
unity was a political concept that kings and emperors in a very
disunified Europe would attempt to live up to during the medieval
period Roman law remains one of the keystones of Western legal
(innocent until proven guilty, etc.) By making Christianity legal
(313 C.E.), then making it the official faith of empire (380 C.E.),
Romans ensured that the new religion would be a major force for
centuries to come