"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.