Chapter 5 was about Eurasian Cultural Traditions. Eurasia consists of Persia (present day Iraq), Eastern Mediteranean/Palestine/Isreal/Eastern Roman Empire, India, China, and Greece.
These cultural traditions are mostly religous/spiritual. They consist of the following:
- Persia -> Zoroastrianism -> Single High god; cosmic conflict of good and evil
- Eastern Mediteranean/Palestine/Isreal -> Judaism -> Transcendent High God; covenant with chosen people; social justice
- Palestine/Isreal -> Christianity -> Jesus; Supreme importance of love based on intimate relationship with God; at odds with established authorities
- Palestine/Isreal/eastern Roman Empire -> Christianity -> Christianity as a religion for all; salvation through faith in Christ
- India -> Brahmanism/Hinduism -> Brahma (the single impersonal divine reality); Karma; rebirth; goal of liberation (moksha)
- India -> Jainism -> All creatures have souls; purification through nonviolence; opposed to caste
- India -> Buddhism -> Suffering caused by desire/ attachment; end of suffering through modest and moral living and meditation practice
- China -> Confucianism -> Social harmony through moral example; secular outlook; importance of education; family as model of the state
- China -> Daoism -> Withdrawl from the world into contemplation of nature; simple living; end of striving
- Greece -> Greek rationalism -> Socrates, Plato, Aristotle; Style of persistent questioning; secular explanation of nature and human life
Most of these traditions sought an alternative to an earlier polytheism (multiple gods). In contrast the classical era sought to define a single source of order and meaning in the universe.
Note: Info comes from The Ways of the World, A brief Global History textbook by Robert W. Strayer, website, http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/strayer1e/default.asp?
This is a really well ordered summary of the chapter. Hope you get some good feedback. Just one note from me: Persia=Iran rather than Iraq. Thanks for the good work!
ReplyDeleteShannon, Thank you for the summary of the different religions which began in ancient civilizations. I enjoyed reading about them.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good and succinct representation of the religions/philosophies of the Classical Cultural Traditions. This will be helpful in really zeroing in on the particulars of this chapter.
ReplyDeleteA very organized conclusion of the assigned reading. It gives a clear distinction of the different religions.The constant longing of mankind to search for the right way to find God has branched to many different paths.
ReplyDelete