Ancient Athens

British scholar Bettany Hughes hosts this well produced documentaty. Pay particualr attention to changes in the roles and importance of the "common man."





This clip begins with the clash between Athens and Persians at Marathon. The clip below is from the popular PBS travel author Rick Steves The clip below is a "travel video" about the Agora (or marketplace) of ancient Athens. The Agora was located at the foot of the Acropolis. (You gotta dig the background music!) A nicely done "amateur" clip about Greek philosophy. A more "academic" offering featuring the irrepressible Eugen Weber. A nicely done "amateur" clip about Greek philosophy. Below is a blogger's notion of Zeno's Stoicism:

Images from China

The Mandate of Heaven

Great Wall of China

Ban Zhao


Daoist Art

Ancient China

An "Oracle Bone"

Confucius

Lao tzu

Han Feizi

Shi Huangdi

The First Emperor's Terra Cotta Army


Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism

Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism constitute the essence of the traditional Chinese culture. The relationship among the three has been marked by both contention and complementation in history, with Confucianism playing a more dominant role.

Confucius (Kongzi, 551-479 B.C.), founder of Confucianism, stresses "Ren" (benevolence, love) and "Li" (rites), referring to respect for the system of social hierarchy. He attaches importance to education and was a pioneering advocate for private schools. He is particularly famous for teaching students according to their intellectual inclinations. His teachings were later recorded by his students in "The Analects."

Mencius also contributed a great part to Confucianism, lived in the Warring States Period (389-305 B.C.), advocating a policy of benign government and a philosophy that human beings are good by nature. Confucianism became the orthodox ideology in feudal China and, in the long course of history, it drew on Taoism and Buddhism. By the 12th century, Confucianism had evolved into a rigid philosophy that calls for preserving heavenly laws and repressing human desires.

Taoism was created by Lao Zi (around the sixth century B.C.), whose masterpiece is "The Classic of the Virtue of the Tao." He believes the dialectical philosophy of inaction. Chairman Mao Zedong once quoted Lao Zi: "Fortune lies in misfortune and vice versa." Zhuang Zhou, the main advocate of Taoism during the Warring States period, founded a relativism calling for the absolute freedom of the subjective mind. Taoism has greatly influenced Chinese thinkers, writers and artists.

Buddhism was created by Sakyamuni in India around the 6th century B.C. Believing that human life is miserable and spiritual emancipation is the highest goal to seek. It was introduced into China through Central Asia around the time Christ was born. After a few centuries of assimilation, Buddhism evolved into many sects in the Sui and Tang Dynasties and became localized. That was also a process when the ingenuous culture of Confucianism and Taoism were blended with Buddhism. Chines

China's Three Schools

This brief documentary has a "presentist" feel to it, but it does succinctly describe the "Three Schools." Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism constitute the essence of the traditional Chinese culture. The relationship among the three has been marked by both contention and complementation in history, with Confucianism playing a more dominant role. Confucius (Kongzi, 551-479 B.C.), founder of Confucianism, stresses "Ren" (benevolence, love) and "Li" (rites), referring to respect for the system of social hierarchy. He attaches importance to education and was a pioneering advocate for private schools. He is particularly famous for teaching students according to their intellectual inclinations. His teachings were later recorded by his students in "The Analects." Mencius also contributed a great part to Confucianism, lived in the Warring States Period (389-305 B.C.), advocating a policy of benign government and a philosophy that human beings are good by nature. Confucianism became the orthodox ideology in feudal China and, in the long course of history, it drew on Taoism and Buddhism. By the 12th century, Confucianism had evolved into a rigid philosophy that calls for preserving heavenly laws and repressing human desires. Taoism was created by Lao Zi (around the sixth century B.C.), whose masterpiece is "The Classic of the Virtue of the Tao." He believes the dialectical philosophy of inaction. Chairman Mao Zedong once quoted Lao Zi: "Fortune lies in misfortune and vice versa." Zhuang Zhou, the main advocate of Taoism during the Warring States period, founded a relativism calling for the absolute freedom of the subjective mind. Taoism has greatly influenced Chinese thinkers, writers and artists. Buddhism was created by Sakyamuni in India around the 6th century B.C. Believing that human life is miserable and spiritual emancipation is the highest goal to seek. It was introduced into China through Central Asia around the time Christ was born. After a few centuries of assimilation, Buddhism evolved into many sects in the Sui and Tang Dynasties and became localized. That was also a process when the ingenuous culture of Confucianism and Taoism were blended with Buddhism. Chinese Buddhism has played a very important role on traditional ideology and art. Posted by African American History Survey at 8:45 AM Newer Post Older Post Home Followers Rick Steves Look at the Acropolis and Agora of Ath... Stoicism Documentaries Ancient Sparta Documentary Athenian Democracy Documentary Exam I Study Guide Ancient Greece Study Terms Ancient China Study Terms Legalism Qin Dynasty Images of Ancient China & Brief "Great Schools" Es... Buddhism Dicumentary Hinduism Documentary Ancient India Study Terms Early Israel and Judaism Apaocalypse Documentary ► January (10) ► 2011 (35) ► 2010 (5) ► 2009 (12) About Me My photo African American History Survey View my complete profile

Documentary with Committed Buddhist Richard Gere

These are the links referenced in lecture:

Hinduism Documentaries with Michael Woods (again!)

A brief "overview":

Vedic Traditions

A helpful look at some of the concepts and beliefs we discussed in lecture.

Zoroastrianism

The first is a more comedic overview, the second a more "scholarly" discussion.
Ahriman battles the forces of right, light and justice.

Ahura-Mazda

Mithras slays the bull.

An artist rendering of the prophet Zoroaster.







Below is another (attempted) link to an explanatory essay regarding Zoroastrianism and other faiths:
Zoroastrianism and other faiths

Ahura Mazda had help from other deities (in addition to the people as "Collective Savior" and the Messiah/Saoshyant at the end of the age) in his battle against the forces of evil/chaos/Ahriman. One was Mithra, whose worship will eventually spread to India, Palestine, Asia Minor, and ultimately the Roman Empire. Mithra is usually portrayed as slaying a bull, thus bringing salvation, order, and security to his followers.