Pocket map 4

Pocket map 3

Al-ghazali

1. The selections on mathematics tell you that the values of Islam are based on faith alone. The proofs that back the selections up are irrelevant because they have no relation to religion.

2. According to al-Ghazzali, mathematics and religion should be separated as the fact that math is backed up by clear proofs does not mean that religion is backed up by the same logic. Inherently, religion will not be backed up by clear proofs. It is not a study of logic but a study of faith.

3. Al-Ghazali's writing is similar to that of Plato's as they both discuss how knowledge and "seeing the light" can make it difficult to go back to how one was before. In this particular example, this is a commentary on how blindly trusting faith and religion is being kept inside the darkness of the cave while the light is the exposure to mathematics and other logical studies. These two diverge since mathematics are not directly related to each other as both rely on two completely different ways of thinking and therefore, should not affect one's belief in either.

Alexander the Great

I believe Alexander definitely deserved his title. To be called the Great worldwide, one must accomplish something that affected many different people and he definitely fulfilled this requirement. He conquered an astonishing amount of territory. Although all of it wasn't positive, such as how many people he killed, one can not deny that he accomplished something that very few individuals have throughout history. Added to that, he accomplished all of this at a very young age before dying at the age of 30. 

Caste and territorial sovereignty

1)      What’s McNeill’s argument?

William explains in the first selection that by the year 500 B.C.E. Indian and Greek civilizations had found entirely different ways of organizing and administering their societies. And these differences greatly affected the subsequent history of Indian and European society.

 

2)      How does McNeill define Caste? Does this match up with the textbook’s definition?

McNeill defines a Caste as a hierarchy in which societies organize and identify themselves. McNeill argues that Caste and territorial sovereignty differently affected the subsequent development of both Indian and European society

 

3)      What three feelings and thoughts helped to maintain the idea of caste:

A)    One of these was the idea of ceremonial purity. Fear of contaminating oneself by contact with a member of a lower, “unclean” caste gave Brahmans and others near the top of the pyramid strong reasons for limiting their association with low-caste persons.

 

B)    In addition, the humbler castes were often groups that had only recently emerged from primitive forest life. Other civilized societies usually persuaded or compelled newcomers to surrender their peculiar ways, and assimilated them in the course of a few generations to the civilized population as a whole. In India, on the contrary, such groups were able to retain their separate identities indefinitely by preserving their own peculiar customs within the caste framework, generation after generation.

 

C)    The third factor sustaining the caste principle was theoretical: the doctrine of reincarnation and of the term Varna. The latter declared that all men were naturally divided into four castes: the Brahmans who prayed the Kshatriyas who fought, the Vaisyas who worked, and the Sudras who performed unclean tasks. The idea of reincarnation gave logical explanation and justification to the system by explaining a caste as a divinely established institution. A caste was hereditary from father to son and it was designed to reward and punish souls for their actions in former lives. 

4. Are these convincing?

Out of the three thoughts that helped maintain the idea of caste, the most convincing one is the idea the fear of contaminating oneself by contact with a member of a lower caste. This is a thought that ties together many other thoughts with it. For example, contamination could lead to a rebirth in a lower class. These fears combined create a very convincing reason for people to follow the idea of caste.

5. Why did caste itself not cause strong political organization to form?

Everyone intensified himself first with his caste. The reason the caste did not cause strong political organization to form is because a caste ordinarily lacked both definite internal administration. While men mingled with men of other castes, they observed the necessary precautions to prevent contamination of one by the other. This undivided loyalty portrayed in the behavior of caste members could not be commanded by a king or ruler. In addition, rulers, officials, tax collectors, and soldiers were to be neglected whenever possible in order to avoid trouble.

6. What causes Indian religion to shift from deity pleasing to the act of worship itself?

The Brahmin's preoccupation with correctness of detail caused the shift from deity pleasing to deity worship.

7. How did the Upanishads change the nature of Indian religion and thus the goals of Indian society?

 The Upanishads changed the nature of the Indian religion by radically changing the ideals. First they taught that holy men strive only for an escape from the reincarnation cycle, instead of seeking riches, health, and long life. Secondly they taught that holiness and escape form the reincarnation cycle did not come from obedience to priests or observance of ceremonies. Instead, holiness and an escape from the reincarnation cycle by meditation, self-discipline, asceticism, and a withdrawal from everyday.

8. How does McNeill define “Territorial Sovereignty?”

McNeil defines “Territorial Sovereignty” as the mentality of the early Greeks towards expansion of their territory. They thought that this would enable them to expand their territory and gain wealth.  This directly corresponds with their creation of the Greek Polis.

9. Why did Greeks turn away from religion as an explanatory factor in organizing society?

Greeks turned away from religion as an explanatory factor in organizing society because it took their attention away from the matter at hand, territorial expansion.  THey would spend too much time thinking about religion and art and culture, that they wouldn't be able to spend any of their time on military expansion. 

10. 

The consequence of the Greek's rigid adherence to the polis was that the majority of people wouldn't want to hear about new discoveries or ideas if they didn't support the polis, which caused a lot of tension among members of this society. The consequence was brilliant flowering of of Classical Greek civilization.

11. Do you buy his argument? Why or why not?

I agree with McNeill's argument. Territorial sovereignty affected European society differently since by dividing power between states, they maintained a more political structure seen in Western culture today. Ultimately, this did affect how the society grew and interacted with each other. On the other hand, the caste system found in India gave way to a more social structure and interactions that were not based on territory as much as it was based on what was socially accepted. This gave way to a society more focused on social standards than the political aspects of the country.

Homework 9/31

The invention of zero added many things worldwide and was extremely significant. Zero allowed large numbers to be written in short form by place-value notation. This made previously difficult calculations quick and easy. This lead to advancement in mathematics as well as the anticipation of calculus. Overall, I assume the invention of zero helped keeping track of stock and trade more easy since the process of keeping track was far less grueling.

The teachings of the Bhagavad Gita contrast highly with the teachings of Zarathustra and Confucius because it focuses so much on what comes after this life. While the latter focus on enjoying the life we are given now. Meanwhile, the Bhagavad Gita focuses on what happens later. It even goes as far as to glorify dying since "killed, you will obtain heaven". 

Han Dynasty Advisor

In order to prevent the Han Dynasty from collapsing, I would focus in the hierarchy being more flexible to prevent revolts. I would advise against monarchies since that would highlight the unfairness in acquiring power. Instead, it should be given to civilians which would motivate the common people to perform better in war and education. I would also focus on less taxes, and less focus on public works. Some of the public works such as creating the massive amount of stone soldiers was unnecessary. Although public works projects do help make the city seem more beautiful, keeping the people in the city happy should be top priority.

Pocket Map 2

Daoist Sentence

Let yourself be what it wants to be, and what wants to happen happen, because the world is shaped by The Way and can not be controlled.

Pocket Map

Hymn summaries

The Hymns

Summaries of each stanza:

1. You may receive heavenly sight of the message the "Wise Creator" had through meditation.

2. You should listen to the message the speaker has with full attention.

3. The balance in the world is kept by good and evil and it is your choice what you choose as they are both equally active.

4. The followers of good will be rewarded with knowledge and awareness of this life.

5. The one who chooses evil does badly, while the one who chooses good wins the favor of Ahura Mazda.

6. The ones who pick evil go out to deceive others when they have to make decisions and are out to destroy.

7. Armaity helps the soul pass through the test as well, along with the Spirit of Holy Power, the Good Mind, and Truth.

8. There will be a day Ahura punishes the ones who chose evil known as the Untruth.

9. The people who help the world move forward and think are helped by Ahura and the divine spirits.

10. The ultimate punishment to the ones who chose evil will be when the good are accepted into Ahura's paradise.

11. Let these rules guide you because the evil will be punished while the follower of truth will be rewarded.

1. The judge deals fair consequences to the evil, the good, and the mixed.

2. Someone who outright expresses his belief in Ahura and helps others along this path is making a substantial contribution.

3. The person who follows the teachings of Ahura, regardless of social status, will be blessed.

4. Through devotion and prayer, keep the evil temptations away.

5. The inspiration inside oneself must be invoked to truly pursue truth with Ahura. 

6. I, as a priest, have pursued truth and wish to meet with Ahura.

7. I wish for the message of Ahura to be spread everywhere.

8. Accept my prayers and in return, grant me knowledge of the end and immortality.

9. With the help of the spirits, let the ones with an advanced mind go to Ahura's abode.

10. Everything good is from you, Mazda, so please allow us to advance into the next life.

11. Listen to me Ahura and be kind enough to let us enter heaven.

12. Ahura, through you help, grant me good qualities.

13. Help our minds understand and acquire the ultimate truth.

14. Zarathushtra is truly noble and dedicated to Ahura.

Post #3

Hey Pais,

The poster was done very well for the most part. I think the color was done very well on the poster and helped the head pop out. I also thought it was very neat and easy to tell which drawings belonged to each theme. I think you could have improved the fourth drawing by derailing it more since I found it difficult at first glance to tell what it was. A similarity between Mesopotamia and Mesoamerica was the amount of expansion that took place in neighboring territories. Mesoamerica fought many Mayan kingdoms to acquire the lands they came to control just like the Mesopotamians who fought neighboring city-states. Another similarity between these two civilizations is how both civilizations were primarily agricultural yet focused on crafting tools as well. The differences between our civilizations include the blood letting ceremony. These ceremonies did not occur in Mesopotamia and Mesopotamia was not nearly as religious as Mesoamerica. My one question to you is in the act of bloodletting, was death a part of the ceremony or was it only a sacrifice of blood and nothing more?

Sincerely,

Olivia

Hey Kush,

Your poster definitely stuck out as a very colorful project and it was done well. If I had one suggestion, it would be to use less tape. China and Mesopotamia both had patriarchal structures, although Mesopotamia allowed for more flexibility for women in acquiring an education. Another similarity between both civilizations was the development of bronze being used in weapons. One of the differences between the two cultures was the use of writing. In Mesopotamia, writing was used primarily for recording transactions in trade. In China, writing was used for the leisure of the rulers as well as in the oracle bones. A question I have about your civilization is mainly about the oracle bones and how they were used exactly. It seems like a very interesting subject.

Sincerely,

Olivia

Post #2

The first theme was exemplified through the wheel in Mesopotamian civilization. The wheel was a major advancement in technology. I drew a donkey inside the head since this is a widely known animal of labor. The wheel made the donkey's job of carrying large cargos considerably easier. The big picture of the wheel was improving trade. The wheel made long distance trade easier, which inadvertently helped the spread of ideas. This is why I drew a picture of two people talking and exchanging thoughts outside the head. The second theme of architecture was especially shown in the building of the ziggurats. Although this added to the scenery of Mesopotamia as a whole, it was the results of hard labor from civilians. Because of this, I drew a sick person inside the head since hard labor can take a toll on a person's health. Outside the head, I drew the ziggurat in a nice landscape since it would be seen as a thing of beauty by the outside world and society as a whole. The third theme focused on political structures which, in Mesopotamia, was monarchy. Inside the head, I drew a pitchfork, symbolizing rebellions that took place due to the general resentment the civilians had toward imperial rule. Outside the head, I drew a sword to signify the battles that took place in order to expand the territory further and conquer city-states, a result of imperial rule. In terms of creation, a major concept that helped agricultural production was irrigation. Irrigation created excess food supply due to success in agriculture which is why I drew a big family inside the head. As an average civilian, the food surplus would allow for larger families. Irrigation affected the big picture by attracting more people to migrate because of the food surplus. To symbolize migration, I drew packed bags for travel outside the head. The final theme of social structures was especially apparent in the domination of women in the obviously patriarchal society. In my opinion, if I was a woman living in Mesopotamian times, I feel as though I might see the constraints that came with the society over the places that allowed for flexibility. This is why I drew a veil inside the head which symbolized the constraints Mesopotamian women faced. Outside the head, I drew pens and pieces of paper to signify how society would feel as though they were giving women a decent amount of freedom by allowing them to assume positions such as scribes in society. 

Post #1

The test was very well formatted in my opinion. It was specific enough to test how well we grasped the material but asked about relevant facts that would actually affect our understanding of the chapters. I found it easy to take and know that if I study harder next time, I will be able to achieve my expectations eventually. The tests were reasonable enough that improvement does not seem impossible. The essay was a bit challenging at first since I had never done a straight out essay with such little preparation. I believe the essay was necessary for me to actually understand the caliber of responsibility we are expected to take in order to do well in this class. I will admit, it has become something taken for granted in other classes that the teacher will give you multiple warnings and lots of preparation before something as major as this essay. However, once I organized all my thoughts on to the paper given to us, my essay became much more clear and my panic subsided considerably. I plan on focusing on all aspects of the chapter next time I study. Firstly, I plan on drilling the facts by writing it down and using pneumonic devices. Although it is more information than usual to take in, I believe if I manage my time better, I will be able to remember it better and use it effectively on essays. I also understand now that grasping the concepts presented in the chapter is just as important as remembering the cold, hard facts of the chapter. In studying for the essays, I will be focusing more on the similarities and differences found in each civilization to better prepare myself as well as getting a feel for the patterns which occur in history.