Islam Questions

1) The selections tell you that Muslims value both math and science because it implies that both of them are important. But they should be valued in different ways.

2) Al-Ghazzali is saying that mathematics and religion should not be separated. He says that they should both be followed together because one is not greater than the other.

3) Al-Ghazzali and Plato's Allegory are similar in that they both believe that a person would eventually see the truth. They are different in that Al-Ghazzali believes that god will lead a person to the truth, while Plato does not specify who would lead a person to the truth and that Al-Ghazzali does not believe that a person will know it when they see the truth, because there is no sure way to see if it is the truth or not, while Plato believes that a person will know when they see the truth. 

Islam Pocket Map

Literary Connection Blogpost

Sullied Hero- 1) Holden Claufield (Catcher in the Rye)

2) Lennie (Of Mice and Men)

Common Man Hero- 1) Willy Lowman (Death of a Salesman)

2) Jack (Lord of the Flies)

Protest Literature- 1) House on Mango Street

2) Of Mice and Men

Allegory- 1) Young Goodman Brown 

2) Romeo and Juliette

Archetypes- 1) House on Mango Street (The main character escapes poverty and becomes successful in life).

2) Romeo and Juliette (These two love each other no matter what obstacles come in their way).

Homework Question 11/8/13

1) Q: According to the prologue, what was the purpose of creating this code?
A: The purpose of creating this code was to collect and revise the whole body of Roman theory of law, and to assemble in one book the scattered works of so many authors which no one else had ventured to hope for or to expect.

2) Q: What does this text cite as the source of Roman law?
A: The text sites that the Lex Regina, which states that all the rights and power of the Roman people were transferred to the emperor.

3) Q: What, if anything, does this text teach us about Byzantine society?
There are a numerous amount of references to God throughout the prologue, which leads me to believe that people in the Byzantine Empire were very religious. By stating phrases such as "lower animals", it is clear that the Byzantine Empire had distinct social classes. And lastly, the Byzantine's had a very fair justice system in my opinion, because it stated that "civil law: those rules prescribed by natural reason for all men are observed by all people alike, and are called the law of nations".

Byzantine Spice Chart

Decline of the Roman Empire

I do somewhat agree with the Monocausal Decay Theory. But, there are parts of this theory that I do not agree with. One part that I do not agree with is enviornmental degradation. This states that gradual environmental degradation caused population and economic decline, and this includes deforestation and and excessive grazing. Lead poisoning seems to be another part of the theory that I'm not too sure about as not everyone drank wine or cooked in lead-based pottery, but I do see how those who did were affected by the poisonous lead. But the part of this theory that I 100% agree with is the spread of disease. This was definitely a huge factor in the decline of the Roman Empire as diseases such as smallpox, measles, and even plague ravaged the empire. So all in all, I do agree with this theory of Monocausal Decay.

Han Dynasty vs. Roman Empire Venn Diagram

ROME POCKET MAP

Alexander the (Fill In The Blank)

Alexander the "Great" was without a doubt one of the most significant kings in history. He had superior war tactics than anyone during his time. And considering he was in his twenties when he took over his father's kingdom, this was nothing short of impressive. An example of how Alexander had superior war tactics is when he led his army thousands of miles to fight the Persians. Although outnumbered two to one, Alexander's army was victorious and defeated the Persians led by Darius. But even though he was a great battle planner, tens of thousands of his own men died in the process. And to add to that, he burned Persepolis to the ground and killed Cleutis in a drunken rage. For these three reasons, I DO NOT think that Alexander deserved to be called "Great"; even though he may have had a clear vision for the Greek Empire, he did not execute his plan in the best way possible. 

"Greece and India - Identity in Caste and Territorial Societies"- Response Questions

1) Q: What’s McNeill’s argument?

A: McNeill's argument was that both Aryan India and Dorian Greece developed in significantly different ways by the year 500 B.C.E.. Examples of this would be the way that both civilizations organized and administered their societies in completely different ways. 

2) Q: How does McNeill define Caste? Does this match up with the textbook’s definition?

A: McNeill defines Caste as a group of persons who will eat with one another and intermarry, while excluding others from these two intimacies. The textbooks definition of a caste is hereditary, unchangeable social classes, and that somewhat matches up with the definition McNeill provides.

3) Q: What three feelings and thoughts helped to maintain the idea of caste:

        1) Ceremonial purity. 

        2) Poor and humble peoples had strong reasons for holding for clinging to caste. 

        3) The doctrine of reincarnation and of "varna".

4) Q: Are these convincing?

A: I would say that all of them are pretty convincing, but I do believe that the third feeling of the idea of caste is the strongest.

5) Q: Why did caste itself not cause strong political organization to form?

A: Most of the people felt loyal to their caste leading to a disengagement of state and politics.

6) Q: What causes Indian religion to shift from deity pleasing to the act of worship itself?

A: An example of how there was a shift from deity pleasing to the act of worship itself would be the Aryan Brahmins thinking that if they performed rituals correctly that the gods would grant them whatever they wanted.

7) Q: How did the Upanishads change the nature of Indian religion and thus the goals of Indian society?

A: The Upanishads ultimate goal was to escape the endless cycle of reincarnation and not having riches, health, and a long life.

8) Q: How does McNeill define “Territorial Sovereignty?”

A: McNeill defines "territorial sovereignty" as self-governing city states that don't belong to any central bureaucracy.

9) Q: Why did Greeks turn away from religion as an explanatory factor in organizing society?

A: The Greeks used the laws of nature and reasoning as an explanatory factor in organizing society.

10) Q: What was the consequence of the Greeks’ rigid adherence to the polis?

A: More people were involved in culture and politics, allowing Greek civilization to flourish.

11) Q: Do you buy his argument? Why or why not?

A: I do buy this argument because McNeill backs his claims up with accurate historical evidence. 

Creation of Zero and the Bhagavad Gita

The Creation of Zero

The number '0' was created by a group of mathematicians during the Gupta era. The placement of the number '0' affects the value of the number as a whole. For example, in the numbers 1230, 1203, and 1023; the zero in each one of these numbers effects it's value in the ones, tens, and hundreds place. Because of the creation of '0', mathematics in the present day are made much easier.

Bhagavad Gita

The teachings of Bhagavad, Confucius, Zarathrusta all had similarities and differences in regards to caste duties and attachment. A main difference would be how in Zoroastrianism, they were taught to enjoy all the world has to offer. While in the Bhagavad Gita, they were taught not to be attached to worldly pleasures and power. A main difference between these three teachings comes into play when talking about the a caste system; the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita says that people should act within their caste, but it does not teach that in either the teachings of Confucius and Zarathrusta.

Han Dynasty Changes

If I was the emperor of the Han dynasty, I would make a lot of changes to the government. The first  reform, I would make it that no government officials could have children. This would eliminate rival political families from rising within the royal court. The next reform would be to land ownership and inequality. I would break up large government and private estates, to redistribute the land to the poor.  I would then proceed to make my society more equal, meaning I would change it from a patriarchal society to a more equal society between men and women. A final reform would to make government work programs where workers would get paid.

China Pocket Map

Daoism?

Daoism is a philosophy that encourages simple living and discourages living by man made laws. (Notice how this sentence is very simple, just like how Dao would have liked it!)

Confucianism Questions #1-2

1)  Is this a religion? Why do you think so/think not?

A- I personally do not think that Confucianism is a religion. It is merely just a system that teaches philosophy and ethics. Even though I fell this way, Confucianism is still followed by people all over the world. The main reason I don't thinkConfucianism is a religion is because it lacks a main religious figure, such as a god or goddess. But I will say that Confucianism has many great ways in which a person can live a happy, joyous life. 

2)  Does this reading support the idea that people are born good/bad/neutral?  

A- I think this reading supports the idea that people are born neutral. People are born neutral at birth, and then choose their path of life wether it be good or bad. A line that supports this would be in Book 1, Chapter 6, lines 1-4, “If a man withdraws his mind from the love of beauty and applies it as sincerely to the love of the virtuous; if, in serving his parents, he can exert his uttermost strength." These lines basically means that if a person is good in the mind, not only will he be happy, but so will his family. “When agreements are made according to what is right, what is spoken can be made good. When respect is shown according to what is proper, one keeps far from shame and disgrace" (Book 1, Chapter XIII, lines 1-4). These lines rephrased mean that a man or woman behaves properly, he or she will keep far from shame upon them and/or their families. And finally, the last example supporting that man is born neutral is "“1. The Master said, 'At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. 'At thirty, I stood firm. 'At forty, I had no doubts. 'At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven" (Book 2, Chapter IV, lines 1-4). These lines pretty much mean that as a human grows older, he or she gets wiser, just as the master did in these lines. This means that he or she will choose which path they want to be on as they grow older because they are wiser.

Persian Pocket Map

Hymn Meaning

Two main gods are named in the first hymn; Daeva and Ahura Mazda. Both of these gods represent both good and evil. Ahura Mazda had followers who were wise because they chose rightly. The followers of Ahura Mazda (representing truth/righteousness) enjoyed the best mental state. The followers of Daeva (or Devil worshipers) on the other hand didn't choose the right path because they were deceived and they experienced the worst mental situations. 

The second hymn basically lists a set of laws that everyone in society should follow. People who are faithful to Ahura Mazda will be accepted into heaven. People who suddenly realize the benefits of Mazda's code of laws will enjoy happiness for the rest of their lives, and those who sin shall suffer. So in simpler words, anyone who accepts and understands Ahura Mazda's commandments shall receive eternal bliss. People who are doers of evil shall suffer for eternity.

In the third hymn, it seems as if a man if praying to Ahura Mazda. The entire hymn somewhat expresses how someone would remain faithful to Ahura Mazda by driving evil spirits away. This hymn also gives grace to Ahura Mazda. The narrator says that he has been inspired by Ahura Mazda's teachings. In the last line of the hymn, the narrator asks that Ahura Mazda may manifest in everyone.

The fourth hymn is another prayer to Ahura Mazda. The narrator prays for peace/prosperity for him. He also asks for a blessing from the spirits of Deathless Weal (perfection) and Immortality. The rest of this hymn goes on to state the great things that will come to all followers of Ahura Mazda and the path of good. The narrator prays specifically that he may be courageous, good, and that he may be steadfast with purpose. In the last stanza, the narrator says "Zarathushtra dedicates the works of his life, even his very self", showing how much the narrator appreciates Zarathustra for his life's dedication to Ahura Mazda.

Video Response Questions

What is the order of Persian leaders?

A- Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes.

What is a qanat?  How does it work?

A- A qanat was a new irrigation system that harvested ground water. It exploited the natural topography of the land. There were underground tunnels that carried water from a sloped mountain or steep hill to a neighboring city. There were also vertical air shafts placed along the tunnel.

What is Cyrus’ tomb like?

A- He is buried in Pasargadae. He wanted to be laid to rest in a place that represented him. It was made of high quality stones and had height of 36 feet. His tomb was very modest, considering the fact he controlled one of the greatest empires in history. 

What interaction does Cyrus have with the Jews?

A- Cyrus was the one who freed the Jews. According to the narrator, because of Cyrus' actions, he is the only person to be called the messiah in the bible.

What did Darius build?

A- Darius's engineers built a 1500 mile stone highway. He chose to call it the Royal Road. Stone roads were much more sensible than mud roads because when it rained it would make the mud very sludgy and it would make horse riding almost impossible. Plus, he had posts every about 14 miles so travelers could rest and switch horses if needed. 

Peer Response #2

Heyooo Kim, how are ya? I just wanted to start off by saying that I like your poster a lot. The images that you selected for the inside and outside of the history head are great and very clear. If I were to make one suggestion, it would be that you should've spent a little more time organizing the pictures inside and outside the head. Don't get me wrong you had a good looking poster, but with a little more organization, it could've been a fantastic poster! One similarity between Mesoamerica and India is that both societies had human sacrifices for gods. One difference between the two societies is that Mesoamericans built large, grand temples for gods while India did not. My question to you is what were the four different social classes in the Caste System? But to end this post, I want to say I like your poster A LOT!

Ya BFF fo' lyfe!,

Dan Pais

Peer Response #1

Hey Cass! What's up girl? I just wanted to say I love your poster. I love the fact that you used up almost all of the space on the poster and it had a clear, legible key. If I were to make one suggestion, it would be that you should've made larger images for each theme. For example your river, it is great don't get me wrong, but if it were larger and maybe drawn in white it would look SO much better! One of the similarities between China and Mesoamerica is that they were both trade oriented. People in China traded primarily in silk while people in  Mesoamerica primarily with textiles. Another similarity is that both Mesoamerica and China depended on rivers. A difference between these two cultures was that China had wheeled chariots, while people in Mesoamerica didn't rely on wheeled chariots but carried goods on their backs instead. One question that I have for you is how a building represents developments and transformation of social structures. But other that, love your poster!

Ya brotha from anotha motha,

Dan Pais

AP World History Head: Mesoamerica

The first theme of my history head is "Patterns and impacts of interaction between humans and the environment (demography and disease, migration, patterns of settlement, technology). Starting from the outside, I drew a picture of a Mayan calendar. The Mayan calendar spliced two kinds of years; a solar year of 365 days (which governed the agricultural cycle) and a ritual year of 260 days (twenty months of thirteen days apiece). In order to get these different numbers, Mayan priests would study the environment (primarily the sky) and they would create both calendars. The image on the inside of the head consists of maize, cacao, and cotton, which were the primary crops for Mayans. I drew these crops because the 365 day calendar governed the agricultural cycle, which greatly affected the people that were in charge of growing and harvesting them. The creation of the Mayan calendar by priests affected people who harvested/grew specific crops because of the agricultural cycle governed by the 365 day calendar.  

The second theme of my history head is the "Development and interaction of cultures (religions, belief systems, philosophies and ideologies, science and technology, the arts and architecture). On the outside of the head is a picture equation; Maize plus water equaled flesh and blood (aka humans). This was a Mayan creation myth called Popol Vuh. This is why agriculture played a fundamental role in Mayan society. And because of this, agriculture affected people's beliefs greatly. On the inside of the head is a Mayan style knife dripping with blood. Although a little gruesome, bloodletting rituals were quite common in Mayan society. The Mayans believed that if humans would sacrifice their blood, it would prompt the gods to send rain to water their crops of maize. These rituals were not used to torture enemies, as royal figures such as Chan Bahlum voluntarily sacrificed their blood because they truly believed that gods expected honor from humans

The third theme on my history head is "State-building, expansion, and conflict (Political structures and forms of governance, empires, nations and nationalism, revolts and revolutions, regional, transregional, and global structures and organizations). On the inside of the history head is a picture of two swords of opposing sides fighting. This represents the constant fighting between Maya kingdoms. The victors of the fight took over the losers ceremonial centers, and even captured the enemy and kept him as a trophy in some cases. On the outside of the head is a picture of the captive, bloodletting as the sacrifice to the gods. This is what happened usually happened to a captive of a fight. But in other cases, the captive would be used as a slave.

The fourth theme on my history head is "Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems (Agricultural and pastoral production, trade and commerce, labor systems, industrialization, capitalism and socialism). The picture inside of the head is an early Olmec agricultural village. In these agricultural villages, Olmecs would cultivate beans, chili peppers, avocados, squashes, gourds, tomatoes, and most importantly, maize. People in early Mesoamerica had diets rich in cultivated foods and not in domesticated animals, which is why agricultural villages were so important to all early Mesoamericans. On the outside of the head are pictures of jade and obsidian. Early Olmecs produced large amounts of decorative pieces from jade (which was imported). They also crafted tools from obsidian such as knives and axes which were very effective. Both jade and obsidian had to be imported from distant regions in the interior of Mesoamerica, so it was not something an average person was used to.

The fifth and final theme on my history head is the "Development and transformation of social structures (gender roles and relations, family and kingship, racial and ethnic constructions, social and economic classes). On the inside of the head, I drew a picture of both a man and a woman (stick figure version). The reason I drew this is because men were dominant to women in early Mesoamerica. This is the same case for most of the early societies. On the outside of the head I drew two separate picture. The first picture shows an oversized Olmec head. As stated in the textbook, these heads could possibly be made in likeliness to the rulers at the time. The second image I drew was a picture of a Mayan king and a picture of a slave; the top and bottom of the social hierarchy. During the Mayan period, the king and ruling family were at the top of the social hierarchy. Next in line came priests. Then came hereditary nobility (from merchant class), warriors, professionals and artisans, peasants, and slaves in that order from top to bottom.

My First Thoughts of AP World

Making the jump from CP1 US History II to AP World History was definitely a huge risk. But even though I feel I did not do well on the first test of the year, I know now what it takes to get a solid grade in AP World, and I plan on studying much harder for every test and quiz. The essay was also very rigorous, but I believe I did better on it than the test. And to be completely honest, I feel like what I read over the summer really didn't sink in to my brain, and I have to work on that. But I know what I signed up for and I am 100% committed to do better in your class from here on out. And if things don't turn out the way I hope, I will have to switch to honors, but I really hope that does not happen!