Chapter 6

Mahatma Ghandi sought to raise the status of the "untouchables," referring them to the Harijan, or 'children of God."

China- For more than 2,000 years ago, officials or bureaucrats represented the cultural and social elite of the Chinese civilization.
Confucius thought that officials that were selected to hold a position should be selected by the basis of merit and personal morality rather than birth and wealth

Emperor Wu Di sent promising officials to be trained as scholars and schooled in the Chinese classical texts concerning history, literature, art, and mathematics, with an emphasis on Confucian teachings.

Most officials cam from wealthy families, and in China wealth meant land.
Yellow turban Rebellion- peasant uprising. yellow scarves the peasants wore around their heads. 360,000 armed followers. Looked forward to the "golden age" of complete equality, social harmony, and common ownership of property.

In the eyes of scholar-gentry, they were the solid productive backbone of the country and their hard work and endurance in the face of difficulties were worthy of praise.
- It can be the said of our day with men and women that work hard in our fields picking vegetables and fruits. These are the people are looked down on in society. These are the people that work hard long hours and get paid less. These are the people that should be worthy of praise and honor because without them who knows who would go out in those and break their back so we can have fruits and vegetables in our local grocery store and super markets.
Merchants were viewed in Chinese society as unproductive, making a shameful profit from selling the work of others. They were looked at as greedy, money hungry, and materialistic people. They were also seen as a social threat.
Early in the Han Dynasty, merchants were forbidden to wear silk clothing, ride horses, hold public office, or carry arms.

Caste System- comes from the Portuguese word "casta" which means "race" or "purity of blood"
Four classes of Varna
Everyone was born into and remained within one of these classes for life.
1. Brahmins- priests. did rituals and sacrifices.
2. Ksatriya- warriors and rulers. protecting and governing society
3. Vaisya- commoners who cultivated the land.
these three class were known as the "twice born" for they not only had a physical birth but also formal initiation into their respective varnas and status as people of Aryan descent.
4. Sudras- servants of their social betters
According to Varna theory, this caste system was created by the god purusha and there this system is eternal and changeless.

Jaitis- sub castes

Aristotle came up with the notion that people were "slaves by nature" and should be enslaved for their own good and for that of the larger society.
By the time of Christ, the Roman Empire had some 2 to 3 million slaves, representing 33 to 40 percent of the population.

The superior principle of yang was viewed as masculine an related to heaven, rulers, strength, rationality, and light. Yin was viewed as the lower feminine principle. It was associated with the earth, subjects, weakness, emotion, and darkness. Female inferiority was permanent and embedded in the workings of the universe.
"Men go out, women stay in"
Three obediences.
Obedient to father first, then to her husband, and finally to her son.

Aristotle said "women is, as it were, an infertile male. She lacked sperm and thats where the "form" or the "soul" of a new human being. Her reproductive process is passive, providing a receptacle for the vital male contribution.
"Male rules, and female is ruled."

Chapter 5

-China, India, the Middle East, and Greece's emerged cultural tradition have blended in various forms into the 21st century, and have shaped the values and perceptions most people who have lived on the planet the past 2,500 years.

China- Confucianism
India- Hinduism (Upanishads), Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha)- Buddhism
Middle East- Zoroastrianism, Persian prophet Zarathustra
Judasim
Greece- humanistic approach. Aristotle, Socrates, Plato

China Search for Order
-One answer to the problem was "Legalism"
rules, laws, and a system of rewards and punishments
Legalist entertained a more pessimistic view of human nature. People are stupid and shortsighted. The state ad rulers had to intervene on the behalf of their life because they couldn't handle maintaining their own way of life.
Confucius thought he had found the answer to China's social disorder.
Not laws and punishments, but the moral example of superiors was the Confucian key to a restored social harmony.
This type of teaching was implemented when people would take official positions in the government.

Daoist Answer:
-Withdrawal from the world into the nature and encouraged random, spontaneous, individualistic behavior.
simple living, limited government, abandonment of education, self sufficient communities, and efforts of self improvement.

Buddhism: Siddhartha Guatama
"I teach but one thing," said the Buddha, "suffering and the end of suffering."
Follow the eightfold path and you can reach enlightenment and nirvana. A state where individual identity is eradicated along with greed, hatred, and delusion. Then suffering has ended, the enlightened person can experience an overwhelming sense of serenity and peace. He would have compassion and love for all beings.

Zoroastrianism:
Ahura Mazda- a single unique God, a source of all truth, goodness, and light.
Engaged in cosmic struggles of good and evil.

Judaism:
One God named Yahweh

Greek Philosophy:

The Superior Man: Analects of Confucius

IV. 16: The Master said, "The mind of the superior man is conversant with virtue; the mind of a base man is conversant with gain."

What Confucius was saying was that the mind of a superior (above average) man is familiar with moral excellence, goodness, and righteousness. The mind of the base (lower than average) man is familiar with what interests him than the interests of others. The superior man would rather gain morals and try to do good to others than trying to go gain the best interests for himself. He would rather give than receive. He would rather think of others before he would think of himself. The base man is all about himself. He's all about what he can get for himself. The superior man is the one changing the world and the base man is corrupting the world.

XIV.24: The Master said, "The progress of the superior man is upwards; the progress of the mean man is downwards."

The superior man is friendly and nice. He's good to all people. He treats people fairly and with dignity. He treats them with love and care. He's not seeking his own but for the interests of others. His progress is going to increase upwards. His life will be fulfilling and blessed. It will be fruitful and productive and many and people will follow him. The mean man's progress is going to be downwards. When he treats people disrespectfully and in a harsh way, its not going to get him no where with people in life. Misery likes company. People that are miserable want to make other people miserable. The mean man will not have friends and his associations with people will be very limited.

XV. 18 The master said, "The superior man is distressed by his want of ability. He is not distressed by men not know him."

The superior man is all about being effective in his leadership and lifestyle. He wants to make a difference and impact through his life. He's not worried about the lime light, status, and being part of the in crowd. He's about just doing what he has to do and being effective in what he's doing and doesn't care if he's recognized by others. He rather not be known and kept a secret.