Eastern Philosophy
Living in the Spring and Autumn Period of Zhou China, this philosopher taught his students that human nature was inherently good, and stressed the importance of rituals and education.
Who was Confucius?
Mesopotamia, the first settled society in human history, was established between these two rivers
What are the Tigris and the Euphrates?
Emerging between 1200 and 1000 BCE in the region south of the mountains of Lebanon, this microsociety originally practicing a henotheistic religion following the god YHWH, this society transitioned fully into monotheism by the 7th century BCE.
Who are the Israelites?
This more accessible form of Buddhism spread along the Silk Road in the first two centuries CE, and taught that the Buddha was not simply a wise human, but a god.
What is Mahayana Buddhism?
In his Kalinga Edict, King Aśoka proclaimed his intent to rule according to this concept, which refers to tolerance of others, obedience to the natural order of things, and respect for all of earth's creations.
What is dharma?
This is the name for the four central ideas in Buddhism- that life is full of suffering, desire is the source of suffering, the only way to be free of suffering is to overcome desire, and the only way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path.
What are the Four Noble Truths?
These are distinctions between the privileged and less privileged in a society
What are social hierarchies?
These Anatolian nomadic peoples used their chariots to invade Mesopotamia, ending the power of the Old Babylonian kingdom in 1595 BCE.
Who were the Hittites?
This is a form of religious belief which believes that there may be many gods, but one god is superior to the others. It recognizes the power of one God over other spirits and deities that still exist.
What is henotheism?
In The Curse of Agade, this god unleashes his wrath upon Mesopotamia after King Naram-Sin loots his temple.
Who is Enlil?
In Confucianism, this concept emphasizes respecting and caring for one's parents and ancestors.
What is filial piety?
This society, found in modern-day India, engaged in complex systems of trade across the ancient world, but after their collapse historians are still unable to decipher their writing
What is the Indus River Valley Civilization or the Harappans?
This ethnic group from the Levant region was known for their ships, trading, and alphabet. The Greeks called them by a term meaning "purple people", deriving from the major trade they manufactured: a rare and expensive purple dye.
Who were the Phoenicians?
In this dualistic religion from ancient Persia, the god Ahura Mazda created the world and all that was good, and was in constant conflict with the deceitful and wicked Ahriman.
What is Zoroastrianism?
In Persians Debate Governance, the Persians decide against this kind of government because the common people are untaught and unruly, and because people will band together to protect their friends and become corrupt
What is democracy?
This Chinese philosophy, championed by Xunzi, taught that all humans were inherently bad, and that rulers must force them into behaving ethically with strict laws and punishments.
What is Legalism?
This was the first form of writing, created by impressing signs into wet clay with the cut end of a reed
What is cuneiform?
This nomadic people group migrated into the Indus River Valley around 1500 BCE, bringing with them a distinctive religious identity based around sacred hymns known as the Vedas.
Who were the Vedic Peoples?
According to some schools of Buddhism, these are enlightened demigods who have earned nirvana but remain in this world to help others achieve it.
What are Bodhisattvas?
One of the few women to rule Egypt, this ruler claimed to be the child of the god Amon-Ra
Who is Hatshepsut?
This Daoist principle literally translates to "do nothing," but is more accurately described as taking small actions in harmony with the Way.
What is wuwei?
This is the ancient Egyptian concept of stability and order, which Egyptian kings were supposed to maintain by appeasing the gods and preventing chaos.
What is ma'at?
These migrants from north of the Mediterranean invaded the cities of Egypt, Asia Minor, and the Levant in the second millennium BCE, destroying many of the already weakened early territorial states
Who were the Sea Peoples?
This collection of works was created during the middle first millennium BCE by Brahman priests who had grown dissatisfied with the Vedic religion. This wisdom literature took the form of a dialogue between students and teacher.
What are the Upanishads?
According to the book of Maccabees, this man fought against the rule of the Seleucids, who had made the Jewish religion illegal
Who is Mattathias?