Chapter 4

China and the Search for Order

• Mandate of Heaven
• Legalist answer
• Principle of strict rules that were clearly defined and strictly enforced
• Pessimistic view of human nature 
• Confucian Answer
• Confucius's principles
• Ideas had huge impact on China
• Body of thought
• Humans have capacity for improvement 
• Emphasized importance of history 
• Nonreligious 
• Daoist Answer 
• Associated with Laozi
• Opposite of Confucianism in many ways
• Education and striving for improvement was artificial and useless
• Way of nature, connect with nature

Cultural Traditions of Classical India

• Indian cultural development was different 
• Elites enthusiastic about divine and spiritual matters
• Hinduism-no founding father
• Spread into Southeast Asia but remained mainly associated with Indians 
• South Asian Religion
• Widely recognized sacred texts provided some common ground with Indian culture 
• The Vedas
• Samsara reincarnation 
• Buddhist Challenge 
• Developed with Hinduism 
• Central Buddhist teaching-life is suffering 
• Large elements of Hinduism present in Buddhist teaching
• Challenged Hinduism
• Hinduism as a Religion of Duty and Devotion
• Development of more popular Hinduism

Cultural Tradition of Classical Greece: Search for a Rational Order

• Didn't create enduring religious tradition
• Polytheism
• Greek way of knowing
• Flourished
• Socrates and other philosophers
• Aristotle 
• Greek Legacy 
• Continued traditional beliefs and practices 
• Rationalism spread widely 

Birth of Christianity vs Buddhism

• Founders
• Royal vs lower-class
• Spiritual seekers
• Wisdom teachers
• Jesus Jewish tradition, active for about three years, executed as criminal
• Gautama was active for over 40 years, died of old age
• Spread of new religions
• Didn't intend to create new religion
• Both transformed into gods 

It is amazing that the religions in this chapter are still heavily practiced today, with much of the same values that were practiced during that time.  It is comforting that things have been passed down for such a long time and that the basic morals that people followed and still follow are consistent, making me see the good and potential that we have.