Eurasian Cultural Traditions in 500 BCE
China: Confucius and Laozi
India: Hinduism and Buddhism
Middle East: development of monotheism
Greece: rational humanism
These traditions emerged around the same time from the emergence of new states and empires, growing cities and increasing commerce
China had a state building tradition that went back to around 2000 BCE
the idea of Mandate of Heave was established by 1122BCE. The :age of waring states" broke down into chaos between 40-221BCE
Confusius was an educated ambitious aristocrat. He spend much of life looking for a political position to put his ideas into practice. his ideas had enormous impact on China and the rest of East Asia. His teachings were colected by students as the Analects.
Confucianism was nonreligious in character. its emphasis was practical, focused on this world and did not deny exitence of gods and spirits but the educated elite had little to do with them.
The Daoist was associated with Laozi. Doaism was in many wasy the opposite of confucianism. Education and striving for improvment was artificial. the concept of dao is the way of nature, the underlying principle that governs all.
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