Introduction
Leaders became thinkers and teacher, not kings
“the axial age”- pivotal period between ancient empires and the successor empires
Alternative Pathways and Ideas
In Eastern Zhou China, large territorial states and had formulas for ordering human behavior
In Greece and the Levant, dynamic city-states and new ideas about good governance
East and South Asia, Caribbean coast of Mexico, coasts of Mediterranean have sacred categories and religious experiences
Second generation societies- building on predecessors and representing departure from ancient civilization
Thinkers in Greece and Ganges river valley question society values and beliefs
Eastern Zhou China
Political degeneration leads to political and intellectual innovation
Emergence of Eastern Zhou dynasty = Spring and Autumn period; ends with Warring states period
1. The Spring and Autumn Period
Regional states have power over Zhou central government
Purified iron emerges and spreads cheap power to local authorities
Lord of the Wu state begins the Grand Canal connecting Yellow with Yangzi
2. The Warring States Period
Wars and shifting political alliances involved unprecedented scale of military mobilization and resources
Qin state replaced Zhou in 221 BCE (terracotta warriors buried with first emperor)
Reformed coalitions to maintain balance of power; impersonal legal codes enhanced these (punishment based on crime)
3. New Ideas and the “Hundred Masters”
Confucius was most prominent teacher; others either expanded on his ideas or opposed them (Hundred Schools of Thought)
A. Confucius (551 – 479 BCE)
The Analects- teachings of Confucius according to his followers; had extraordinary influence
Moral framework stressed correct performance of ritual, family responsibility, and perfection of moral character (to become a “superior man”)
Classified people by education more than birth
B. Mo Di
Mohism- each man