Problem
SOCIETIES AND BELIEFS OF EARLY INDIA TO 550 C.E.
• Discuss the possible relationships between the Harappan civilization and Mesopotamia. Discuss the issue of written language and how this has effected out knowledge of Harappan Civilization.
• What is the " Middle Path?" How do the " Four Noble Truths" of the Middle Path deal with the central ideas of Gautama's thought?
THE ORIGINS OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE, TO 220 C.E.
• Would the life of Chinese peasants differ from peasants in ancient Egypt/>/>, Mesopotamia/>, or in the Ganges/> River/>/> region?
• In what way is a Confucian supposed to acquire the ideas of Confucianism? Why is the "investigation of things"p so important?
• Read the description of Daoism. What is " the Way"? How does Daoism differ from the ideas of Confucianism?
• Why did Li Su urge the government to burn most books? What assumptions did Legalism harbor about humanity and the state?