The Outsiders Dbq Analysis

When people began sorting themselves based on language, race, and religion, it was necessary to draw lines and exclude people. The emergence of states, and the births of new religions forced societies to choose how to treat others. Despite several religion’s moral argument that outsiders were equal, many early societies failed to believe in this, and driven by fear created a permanent rift between themselves and their neighbors. Several religions, such as Confucianism, Judaism, and Christianity hold central beliefs that all people should be treated equally, regardless of race or religion. Often thought of as the core, or “golden,” rule, treating outsiders with respect is morally justified, and preached by many. For Judaism, this belief
Most likely, this was due to a sense of competition, or fear. Socrates, as quoted by Plato in Document 3, believed that only Athenians were “pure” Greeks and that barbarians (such as Spartans or Thebes) must be kept out of the city. Socrates’ belief may have stemmed from a fear of Athen’s outsiders, as the Greek political environment was very unsteady. A renowned philosopher, Socrates is an example of how these harsh beliefs were not exclusively held by the uneducated, but societies as a whole. Similar to how Socrates may have feared Greek “barbarians,” Emperor Wu of the Tang Dynasty seems to have feared the “viral” strength of Buddhism (Document 5). As Buddhism rapidly grew in China, Emperor Wu feared for the conservation of central Confucianism beliefs (such as the five major relationships that Buddhism began to tear apart). Thus, despite the fact that so many of his people were Buddhist, he called for the “eradication” of the religion. In Document 6, a Muslim warrior expresses fear of the Franks. Although he befriends a Frankish knight, he still views the people as “animals [having] only the virtues of strength and carrying loads.” For this reason, he declines a friendly offer from the knight, exposing the hatred that fear and uncertainty have created inside of him. In many cases, people mistreated outsiders despite the teachings of their respective religions. Despite Jesus’ calls to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39), Christians continuously did not do this. The Crusades (11th to 13th centuries CE) were an example of such. Even after the Crusades, Christians did not display the values that Jesus preached. In Document 7, a 13th century Christian monk, shows hostility towards the Mongols due to their “shameful” marriage customs. While he surely feared the Mongol’s might (the 13th century was the height of Mongol power), it is telling that a person with a spiritual