Chapter 5 Society and Inequality in Eurasia

 Chapter 5 Society and Inequality in Eurasia

                  Strayer opens the chapter with China’s social hierarchy. During the second wave era, the classes consisted of the elite of officials, landlord class, merchants, and the peasants. China’s social hierarchy was much needed and enforced because I believe that humans will naturally try to dominate one another thinking back on other societies we have studied and pondering on the question if subjugation is inevitable in societies. The peasants were a substantial majority of the population. Being at the lowest class, they were the most vulnerable because famines, droughts, and pests could do a lot of damage at any given point in time. 

                In India, they ran the society on the caste system. The caste system as Varna and/or Jati was similar with the classes in which birth decided the social status for most people (affluent or poor families, inequalities characterized social life, and religion played a role in defining the inequalities as natural, external, and ordained by the gods. The caste system was a hierarchal structure as well and consisted of the Brahmins (priests), Kshatryia (warriors and rulers), and the Vaiysa class (commoners). These classes were called "twice born", and the last class was the Sudras. This does not surprise me that another caste system arose (caste as jati). There will always be people opposed to society's infrastructure because everyone's mind thinks differently and socially accepts different values and religions. India cannot satisfy the entire population under one structure.  On the chart displayed on page 226, I found it interesting that each caste as Varna had different colors symbolizing the different levels of the caste system.

Confucius – The Analects

                                                            Confucius – The Analects

                                                            Ca. 479-221 B.C.E.

            “The Analects of Confucius” became even more prominent after his death. Confucius’ teachings recorded in “The Analects” were philosophies and values that still are idealized today in China. Confucius attempted to map out a path for achieving man’s destined superior role.  “The Analects” was mentioned by many philosophers, such as Yu and Tsang in this excerpt.

            Yu commentary showed an interesting character of the Superior Man as he categorized that they are models for the tradition, a higher stage of human development.  Tsze-Hsia mentioned involvement into loyalty and devotion. Chi K’ang questioned how to persuade people to be faithful to their ruler.  Confucius responded that the usage of love and respect cultivate forms of goodness.  Confucius reiterated that frequent themes consider righteousness by showing respect to others continually and doing the right things would contribute the principle of goodness and sincerity.  When Chung-kung asks Confucius about government, Confucius put emphasis that the ruler’s governance should consist of the principle of goodness, without using external action. Throughout the excerpt, Confucius reiterated that sincerity would be shown on the outside if given on the inside.  

            Finally, this excerpt teaches us Confucius’ standards for conduct in society that focused on the idea what is a “superior man or proper man.”   This fellow man respects elders and his subordinates.   He wants brotherhood and believes these qualities would make a better society.   Futhermore, Confucius made it seem like man would die without regrets if he acted on goodness, a positive quality of humans.

The Writings of Master Han Fei, Third Century B.C.E.

                        The Writings of Master Han Fei, Third Century B.C.E.

            I presuppose that Han Fei tries to isolate legalism as a practical philosophy practice in China.   In his writings, he elaborates and question if war is unorthodox or orthodox.   I credit Han Fei’s view that rulers should reprimand those individuals who are disloyal.   His approach toward people should be through conscious efforts of justice.   I affirm that under Han Fei true wealth is predetermine by good behavior.

            In the writings, I feel that Han Fei tries to reach everyone through benevolence in their community by enforcing that heaven will wait for those who live by goodness in their life.   I conceive that through his circulations of his writings, that intelligent people make the laws that govern the people.   However, laws cannot model controlling, manipulating, and endangering the people in the country.   Han Fei ingrained that “powerful” leaders must be powerful, but not ruthless.   Thus, “benevolent rulers” made a weak government.   His approach suggested that a ruler must eliminate kindness to promote social justice.   However, I consider Han Fei’s efforts a way of totalitarianism did promote many followers because it was the routine for absolute rulers to govern the ancient world and maintain control.   However, today, totalitarian makes enemies and does not make a government effective. 

            Finally, I affirmed that Han Fei’s writings attempted to implement positive changes toward governing a country.  Thus, his ideas were written to promote changes for what he thought was fair and lack favoritism.   Conceivably, he wanted to promote peace and order by his opinions and judgments.  I consider that Han Fei’s writings influenced the ancient world.

The Epic of Gilgamesh

                                                            The Epic of Gilgamesh

This legend was about the King of Uruk in  Babylonia.   King Gilgamesh was two-thirds god and one-third man.   The Epic of Gilgamesh was written approximately 2700 B. C.  As he traveled around the world with a young-man and a god, Enkidu, he performed great deeds as a hero.  Enkidu taught Gilgamesh  the meaning of love, compassion, and humanity. When Enkidu died, King Gilgamesh became devastated in sorrow.  Gilgamesh experienced that his love for Enkidu allowed him to feel the human pain of the loss of a love one.  Gilgamesh searched a way to live forever to lessen the pain he felt after Enkidu died.  This legend emphasized the nature of man.  As King Gilgamesh relentlessly searched to live forever,  Utnapishtim gave him a test in which he had failed.  He learned that eternity was only for the gods.  Also, Gilgamesh discovered that the gods were dangerous for mortals.  Unfortunately, he ascertained that he must experience and endure the death of Enkidu  for him to understand his significance as King.  King Gilgamesh eventually realized that nature’s power was to remind him of his place on earth.     When he returned to his city Uruk, he understood how mortal he was,  and  now, he visualized his city as splendid and glorious rather than horrible and dreadful.  

Finally, The Epic of Gilgamesh embarked on the assertiveness of the gods and displayed the roles of the humans in society.   This legend displayed the struggles of a hero, Gilgamesh’s stubbornness to fight for eternity.  His quest led him to his place back to his city in Mesopotamia.  Thus, he finally understood what Enkidu had taught him from the beginning which was life, and in the end, which was death.  Also, The Epic of Gilgamesh taught Gilgamesh the two worlds, uncivilized and civilized.

Chapter 2

                       

In Chapter Two, the First Civilizations in the natural world grew peaceful communities. Eventually, globalization emerged due to major communities forming in the Middle East, China, Central Asia, and Egypt.  Noteworthy, the first civilization formed was Iraq, or Mesopotamia. All the communities varied in beliefs and way of survival but remained harmonious. 

I presuppose communities helped one another.   People listened because they knew they have to work together.  For example, during 1200 B.C.E. , the Olmec cities rose with the building of temples, altars, pyramids, and tombs of rulers.  As more and more communities developed, so did their resources.  Farmers started to use the techniques that eventually lead to building dikes, channels, and reservoirs.

             I conceived that we acquired vital technology from the first civilizations especially from Mesopotamia and Egypt.  The first writing system was inscribed symbols and pictures on tablets of wet clay near by the Sumerians.   However, more technology introduced inequality that lead to the decline of human communities.  Wealth, status, and power became the norm of later civilizations.  I accredited that the institution of slavery emerged in order to acquire more labor.  More and more humans were abused in order to gain power and greed.   Inequalities in gender roles existed where the men dominated power over the women, and the women were secondary to them.

I affirmed that ancient civilization brought enormous technologies that benefitted the people from neighboring communities.   However, this technology also brought greed to the powerful.  Each ruler wanted to conquer more land, wealth, and power.  Finally, this greed eventually  lead to injustice, more conflicts, and unnecessary wars.