Please
answer one question from Part A and one question from Part B.
Part A
1. You are a member ofa Chinese royal family in the third century BCE. Your king recently passed away.
The late king had two sons who could succeed him: a Confucian and
Legalist. You believe that the Confucian should be the next king of your state,
but some other family members and officials support the Legalist for the
position.
Based on your belief and judgment, please write a statement to recommend
the Confucian.
In your statement, please include the following points.You do not have to
follow these points in the order given. You might also want to include other
relevant points as well.
1)
Refer to the Analects (Document 4.1, p. 82). According to theAnalects, who would be a good ruler, and
how would a good ruler govern his state?
2)
Discuss the Confucian views on human natureand
the role of the government.
3)
Refute the Legalist views
on human nature and the role of the government.
4)
Make your points convincing. What is your ideal statelike?
In what ways doesConfucianism yield a better state than
Legalism?
2. You are a Confucian scholar visiting Athens and Sparta. Write a
report on these two city-statesfrom a
Confucian viewpoint.
In your report, consider the
following points. You do not have to follow these points in
the order given. You might also want to include other relevant points as well.
1) How did Athens and Sparta
differ from each other? How were they similar?
2) Which city would you prefer
and why?
3. You are a Legalist scholar visiting Athens and Sparta. Write a
report on these two city-statesfrom a
Legalist viewpoint.
In your report, consider the
following points. You do not have to follow these points in
the order given. You might also want to include other relevant points as well.
1) How did Athens and Sparta
differ from each other? How were they similar?
2) Which city would you prefer
and why?
4.
If you could be sent back in time to any ancient civilization as a wealthy,
unmarried woman, which one would you choose -- Mesopotamia, Egypt, or China?
Explain why. What if you were a poor, married man? How would gender, social
class, and marital status affect your choice?
5.
Consider the transformation of the Roman
Republic into an imperial state. What problems did Rome face during the last
century of the republic? How did the Roman Republic decline and fall? Please
refer to 1) socio-cultural changes in Rome and 2) the rise of military men,
including Caesar and Octavian.
6.
Consider the transformation of the Roman
Empire. What problems did the Roman Empire face in the fourth century? How did
the Roman Empire decline and was divided into two? Please refer to 1) socio-cultural
changes in Roman Empire 2) the relations with “barbarians.”
7.
Discuss basic characteristics of the Germanic rulers. How and why did they
gain power and authority? How they conquer the Roman territories and assimilate
Roman culture and tradition? How did they transform from chieftains, kings, and
emperors?
In your answer, please refer to 1) issue of
legitimacy, 2) Charles the Great, and 3) Christianity.
Part B
1.
Please read Blood and Guts,
Chapter 1.
We have studied the history of
early human societies and cultures. Our ancestors learned how to farm and herd.
They then settled down, and created communities. As agriculture developed and
people were able to produce an adequate amount of food, some of them engaged in
commerce and handicrafts. They built villages, cities, and states.
We tend to think that human
history is “progressing,” and overall, our lives are becoming better and
healthier than they were in the past.
However, Roy Porter, the
author of Blood and Guts does not
believe that “cultural developments” always promote the physical well-being of
people as a whole.
Imagine you are a history
professor, and you and your colleagues are writinga history textbook based on Porter’s
perspectives. You are asked to write a chapter on early human societies and
ancient civilizations.
Based on your own
understanding of Porter’s work, write an introduction for your chapter.
In your introduction, you need
to clearly state:
1)
what your chapter is about,
2)
what questions and themes your chapter addresses,
3)
what perspectives your chapter takes, and
4)
why your chapter is important and worth reading.
