Herodotus And Sima Qi The First Great Historians Essay

Emperor of China; Self Portrait of K’ang-hsi should not be read as a textbook or as a completely true historical

In China during 406-221 BCE, the battling states between the Zhou and the Han Dynasties? were in a state of governmental disorder. Although the era was in a disruptive state, it ushered in a cultural opening that left a long lasting imprint on the Chinese history. As a result, three major belief systems surfaced Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism in an attempt to achieve a sense of political order in a disorder period. There are distinctions in the way each of the belief systems approached the many problems that plagued the Chinese society. First, all of the founders were contemporaries in China. As well as considered philosophies, who studied the future, and sat out to focus on the present rather than the past. In contrast, Confucianism, Daoism and Legalism established various paths in search of an optimistic future for the success of China. Second, both Legalism and Confucianism developed a social belief system, but are considered a religion. However, both Legalism and Confucianism purpose was to create an orderly society in the hopes of prosperity. In contrast, Daoism does

Both St. Augustine’s Confessions and Confucius’s Analects are significant teachings that have influenced people around the world not only in ancient times but in current history as well. Both doctrines provide discussion on the ethical values of society back in the ancient time they were written and lead us to discover similarities between the two beliefs. Although we find these connections, there are significant differences between St. Augustine and Confucius’s views on life and beliefs since they were living in different time periods and environments. Their experiences are the influencers that have impacted to the way that philosophies and traditions have grown today between the West and the East. I agree that Confucius celebrated social

Though authored possibly centuries apart, the Confucian Analects and court historian Ban Zhao's Lessons for a Woman have far more similarities than they do differences. The reason for this complementarity is that Ban Zhao's writings are intentionally constructed to mirror the teachings of the Analects with a focus on the roles of women in society rather than those of men. She very specifically focuses on relationships between men and women, thus between the two texts a well-rounded picture of the proper marriage relationship in ancient Chinese culture can be formed.

“Books are the steps towards human progress”. Following standard rhetoric like this, people nowadays would be easily lured into the belief that the formation and circulation of literacy was the result of nature development—a normative and inevitable route of the progress of human society, an official and more efficient way for the transmission of knowledge.Nonetheless, as we examine closely to the history all the way back to the period before the wide broadcast of writing, we are able to see that the writing at its first stage was merely aimed to strengthen the state’s rule as well to build the virtuous images of the state instead of functioning as a major channel of knowledge transmission. More than that, literacy in some circumstances even functioned the role as state formation and creation.

Both show that however it was officially viewed, it spread nonetheless among common people who wished to get out of the rigid hierarchy of Confucianism. Both documents, being of imperial or upper class nature, however, cannot be completely relied on for a state of condition in these lower classes

Qin Shi Huangdi, the first Qin emperor, was a proactive and ambitious emperor who implemented a central bureaucratic system that oversaw the evolution and unification of China at the cost of public sentiment. The Qin Dynasty is considered among the most influential dynasties as it laid the foundation for the massive cultural and economic development of China that took place during the Han Dynasty, but it also failed to achieve many of its pro-commoner ideological goals. In fact, socioeconomic disparity was not alleviated and despite the notion of enriching the lives of the common people, it was under Qin rule in which public resentment of the authoritarian government peaked as there were countless peasant revolts against the iron-handed bureaucratic rule of China. Because a paranoid emperor alone wielded political clout and influence, the tumultuous few years of Qin reign was rife with paranoia and suspicion among the masses. Although the Qin Dynasty is seldom thought as possessing the same glaring discrepancy between ideology and state that the Communist regime in post-World War II China had despite the similarities, the failure of the flawless egalitarian state models in socioeconomic and political aspects during the Qin Dynasty mirrored the developments in early Communist China.

Usually you would hear of hundreds of people being killed by terrorist attacks, airplane crashes, or war, but in Ancient China, the Great Wall of China killed hundreds of peasants in the makings through forced labor. The benefits didn't outweigh the costs because through the makings of the wall, it separated families, killed soldiers, and families/ loved ones sacrificed their lives and lifestyle.

Elliott is a notable researcher of Qing 1644-1911 China who has some expertise in the historical backdrop of its Manchu originators, In Emperor Qianlong: Son of Heaven, Man of the World, Elliott has turned his extensive semantic and chronicled abilities to a life story of the enduring Hongli 1711-1799, who from 1735 until the point when 1795 ruled as Emperor Qianlong, managing a time of amazingly quick social, scholarly, statistic what's more, natural change, Qianlong's mind boggling identity and rule are analyzed once again in Elliott's investigation. There are numerous cases of this with tests of these sonnets by Qianlong himself all through the book and pictures of himself, generally in a purposeful publicity style however. The book gives an awesome short clarification of how Qianlong ruled the country and how he lived in his home life. It points of interest his spouses and the amount he loved them and what he did with them on their many voyages together over the Chinese farmland. It really expounds the amount Qianlong was influenced by the passing of his first spouse and how it may have had an effect on how he led from subsequently.

Qin Shi Huangdi, the first Qin emperor, was an ambitious emperor who implemented a central bureaucratic system that oversaw the evolution and unification of China at the cost of public sentiment. The Qin Dynasty is considered to be among the most influential dynasties as it laid the foundation for the massive cultural and economic development of China that took place during the Han Dynasty, but it also failed to achieve many of its pro-commoner ideological goals. In fact, socioeconomic disparity was not alleviated and despite the notion of enriching the lives of the common people, it was under Qin rule in which public resentment of the authoritarian government peaked as there were countless peasant revolts against the iron-handed bureaucratic rule of the Qin. Because a paranoid emperor alone wielded political clout and influence, the tumultuous few years of Qin reign was rife with paranoia and suspicion among the masses. Although the Qin Dynasty is seldom thought to possess the same glaring discrepancy between ideology and state that the Communist regime in post-World War II China had, the failure of the flawless egalitarian state models in socioeconomic and political aspects during the Qin Dynasty mirrored the developments in early Communist China.

Leaving the story with a high note of rebirth, fertility, and an age of a new era will emerge. Another clue takes place in the third section of the narrative revealing the time period being in the early twentieth century before the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China, “the great Qing empire belongs to us” (Hsun, Lu, pg.76) the reader can infer that a sense of revolutionary attitude is being presented by the character. Why did Lu Hsun give away the time period? This phrase introduces a recurring theme along the story of informative persuasive and it gives the reader a glimpse of the characters’ perspectives. As well as it foreshadows the execution of the son of Hsia told by Uncle Kang, Confucius, who characterizes the event in a negative tone by mocking the incompetence of the youth. By characterizing the executioner as a “real scoundrel” or a “young rogue” (Hsun, Lu, pg.75) gives a pedestal between traditional Chinese values versus the revolution of modernism occurring at the time. Not only does this event showcase Lu Hsun beliefs of finding a true “spiritual” medicine but it shows the level of progression China is facing in this time period. It gives the reader a clear foundation of the cultural complex in the first section of the story. Lu Hsun utilizes pathos to achieve this message of tradition ceding progression.

History writing has evolved much over time with the contributions of many people. In the modern sense, it can be traced back to ancient Greece and China, where historians Herodotus and Sima Qian began keeping records of human existence. Although they were not literally the first people to write history, together they are named the first great historians of the Western world and the East because of their individual innovations and extensive work that has long affected history writing up until this day. There is much to debate when it comes to the greatness of these ancient historians, and although some believe they were both important and successful in what their works, The Histories and The Records of a Historian, accomplished, others

We have covered the general accounts of human nature found in Confucianism and Taoism in light of the historical backdrop of the Period of Warring States. Use your responses to the following general questions below as an opportunity to refer either to the Smith text and accompanying assigned scriptures(s), Smith video(s) on China, Confucianism, and Taoism, or any additional material covered in class. Look ahead to the next question on the chun tzu in order to plan on avoiding repetition of answers verbatim within each essay if there are areas of potential overlap.

Many people consider him the father of history; others prefer to call him the father of lies. Whatever may be your perception of Herodotus’ work, the truth is that Herodotus began a new manner of writing history in which human psychology takes a fundamental place. He was the first historian who really considered the reasons why things happen and did not limit his narrative to just facts. His book The Histories evidences all the distinctive features that he employs through his description of facts as well as the intrinsic analysis that he includes to his storyline about controversial topics like the definition of what heroes really are. Indeed, The Histories’ book 7 reveals Herodotus’ astonishing and unique view of heroism. During his

Confucian moral doctrine that placed people into a hierarchical canon is attached by Lu Xun in the novel who advocates for equality as the new philosophy of life. The work is intended to identify feudalism as cannibalism in China and instead call for freedom of