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... s the authority figure that gave Christianity the thumbs up, and built on the civilization. Throughout these times, the people became feeble and weak against the strong currents of opinions. The people became strong willed, and spirited after the religion wars. Soon, they too would develop this opinion of, my way or the highway.
The relationships of people began to suffer, because the morals were all changing so rapidly. Women were being restricted to marrying a man that was of the same religion as her, and visa versa. Comparatively speaking, today's civilizations have some of the same ideas, yet they have progressed into ideas, and not laws. It becomes clear now, that the moral standards and beliefs that society has today, have originated from the Medieval period.
More examples are that a woman must take her husband's name or marry of the same nationality. These traditions still exist in some many of the world, because we are accustomed to them. Our beliefs, attitudes and moral standards toward marriage have remained somewhat the same, since Medieval Europe. Another highly defined civilization would be the Chinese.
Highly defined because it could be presented to someone with little historical background, and they could likely figure out which it is. The Chinese have a very spiritual and intelligent way of seeing the world. The world's spirit is much like a human's spirit. One must respect, nurture, and care for the world, much as they would care for themselves. Buddhism, a religion that spread to China from India in 220 CE, has grounds based on these beliefs.
Everything has a soul, spirit, and home that we all must share in the great circle of life. The Chinese also believed that there is a purifying path that cleanses the mind called the eight-fold path. Today all Buddhists follow the eight-fold path in hopes of someday reaching nirvana, ultimate enlightenment and happiness. Chinese morals are based upon the path, and can only be achieved if all desire and selfishness is eliminated. The Chinese Buddhists see the world as being full of desire, which leads to suffering and unhappiness. These ideas hold much truth in the sense that inner hate comes from a feeling that something is lacking in one's life.
By eliminating the feelings of jealousy, rage, and envy, one can reach total sincere happiness. Mortality can be based on facts of opinion, and the Chinese have brought forth many outstanding points to enhance the value of their moral standards. The Han Dynasty intertwines with the ideas of Buddhism, although Buddhism had not yet reached China. It is also paralleled with the Roman Empire in power, prominence, and historical importance. During this time, a Confucius government was developed and built on to the social structures. No longer was a government position inherited but rather earned, through hard work and perseverance.
The people would take large examinations testing the knowledge of China's history, literature and philosophy, particularly the ideas of Confucianism. A person's handwriting or calligraphy was looked at also, but surprisingly the tests were rarely based upon government knowledge. People would spend half of their life times preparing for these highly prestigious tests, and families would save-up money to send one child to school to study. It was thought that the child would someday be able to help the family because of their government authority. It was mentioned that the tests looked at the individual's ideas about Confucianism. Confucianism outlined beautifully the beliefs and moral standards of the Chinese.
Confucius people believed that there were five basic relationships in life: ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, older brother and younger brother, and finally older friend and younger friend. The ruler must be kind and the subject loyal. The father must show love, and the son respect and obedience. The husband must be kindly, and the wife obedient. The older brother must be gentle and the younger brother respectful.
This all points towards a harmonized and well-run society during the Han Dynasty. The beliefs are illustrated here, and one can see just how they believed things should be run. After looking straight into the hearts of three civilizations and gathering evidence to illustrate their individuality, it is appropriate to say that each one has distinctly different characteristics, and yet they are similar in other ways. The Athenians would use their educational back ground to solve problems.
The Spartans would use their aggressive force to solve problems. The similarity is that both used what they knew to their best advantage. Both city-states were highly motivated when it came to doing something that they knew how to do. Change was not a favorite thing for them.
The Macedonians used their force, just like the Spartans, but treated their enemy with more respect. The Macedonians were socially conscious, and respected the feelings of others. The reader sees this when looking at Alexander's kind sense of ruling his army. The Romans were similar to the point where they too did not like change or difference. The difference between religions created a huge catastrophe for the Catholics and Protestants, but both survived, and pulled through. This is because of their strong moral backgrounds of knowing right from wrong.
Although the differences of the two religions made them seem weak at the time, they were both strengthened because of it. The individuality of something is what makes it special. The attitudes and values are what set them apart near the beginning, and yet these are what make them unique at the end. The Chinese Empire proved to be one of the most defined civilizations. Because of religious beliefs, the Chinese brought to life the idea that everyone is equal.
There should be no recondition for money or social status, but rather of how devoted to Buddhism one is. The eight-fold paths shed light on to a new way of thinking or seeing ones's elf. Reflection was important in order to realize what one has done, and points towards valuing what one has, rather than what they do not have. Confucianism helps the reader better understand the moral standards, beliefs and attitudes toward human civilization.
It is known that respect for elders, and the wise was necessary. It was also important to know what one's role was in society, whether it be childbirth, or growing rice. Civilization is a fascinating topic, because they are able to show where humanity progressed, or regressed. In viewing many civilizations through out the course of five months, it is clearer to see where exactly ideas originated. The belief system that humans have developed is like one giant melting pot. There are ideas, attitudes, social awareness, and values all boiled down into one big mass.
Much like a science experiment, sometimes things do not belong together, and some do. These are all learning opportunities, and most likely humankind will eventually learn the perfect mix. Until then, it is assumed that we will continue to make mistakes, while advancing at the same time.
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Research essay sample on Eight Fold Path Han Dynasty
