Early
Classical Era (Blog # 2)
Reading about the Greek Empire and their ideas of democracy makes
me realize that many countries, including United States have adopted these
ideas resulting in the inclusion and respect of all people living within the
boundaries of a country. The idea of “citizenship”, originality described by
the Greeks, was to give people the freedom to participate in state affairs and to
make them equal before the law. This idea has been also adopted by the US with
a small difference: in the Athenian democracy people directly participated in
politics while in modern democracy people decides on political matters by
choosing their political leaders who agree with people ideals. Another
similarity between Greek and modern democracy, at least until the beginning of
the XX century in the US, women, slaves, and foreigners were prohibited to participate
in political affairs. As the Greek and
Roman Empire unified its culture by assimilating other communities into their
society, in the same way, US have integrated people from all part of the world
to its society by providing a standard education, speaking the same language,
and respecting people’s customs and religions.
Religion has taken an important role in human history. Some religions
have transcended and others have evolved changing people’s traditions
throughout time. Hinduism changed from ritual and sacrifice to devotion and
worship, Buddhism changed from non religious tradition to give emphasis to the
supernatural, and Christianity first originated by poor people became an
imperial church run by powerful religious leaders. In accordance to the book,
religion seems to be consistent on one thing: it has justified social and
gender inequality, it has helped people to endure difficulties, and in occasions
it has stimulated reform and rebellion. At least, rebellion helped to end
slavery and patriarchy later in history. It made me mad to read about slavery
and patriarchy and I could not reconcile my thoughts even when I read the ideas
that justified such human behavior. Why humans thought that they had the right
to own other humans? One scholar according to the book suggested that the idea
of slavery comes with the early domestication of animals. In which way humans
are compared to animals? Also, why males believed they were superior to
females? In one hand, I understand that male invented these ideas to keep
themselves on top of the hierarchical spectrum and yet, I am puzzled to observe
so many contradictions as history was written. Fortunately, slavery has ended
but I am not so sure patriarchy has.