On an otherwise ordinary day in England, a shadowy figure wearing a Guy Fawkes mask enters the state controlled television studio and at gunpoint, forces its employees to broadcast a specially prepared video addressing the people of England. In the video, the very same mysterious masked man chastises the English people for their disregard for the once cherished values of duty, freedom and honor, values shared by many ancient civilizations. While at first glance, western culture as represented in the movie, V for Vendetta, may seem drastically different from those of ancient societies, many underlying philosophical similarities do emerge deep down. Even though modern westerners enjoy enhanced lives due to technology, medicine, and education, they share many similar values and cultural beliefs with the societies of Ancient India, Rome, and China.
The civilizations of Ancient India and the Modern West cherish the idea that all individuals have a responsibility to contribute to society. However, because these two different civilizations existed in drastically different epochs of history, Ancient Indians and Modern Westerners have different perspectives of what constitutes duty. Ancient Indian society divided itself into a caste system of five different groups of people: priests, warriors, merchants, commoners, and the untouchables. Once a person was born into a certain caste, Indian society ascribed certain duties and obligations based on his particular caste. Priests performed religious ceremonies, warriors fought in battles, merchants sold goods, and untouchables cleaned the streets. In the Indian epic, the Bhagavad-Gita, a reluctant warrior named Arjuana refuses to go to war because he worries for the lives of his brothers and un...
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...ndians conform to a rigid caste system and Modern Westerners demand a responsible government, they share the similar concept of personal responsibility and duty. Ancient Romans and Westerners both cherish freedom, even though the Roman Empire had a drastically different form of government. Westerners and Ancient Chinese have extremely different perspectives of honor, but both societies expect its members to conduct themselves in a manner that is agreeable to all.
Works Cited
Confucius. "The Analects." Trans. Arthur Waley. Prentice Hall Literature. Prentice Hall: Person, 2004. 242-44. Print.
"From the Bhagavad-Gita." Prentice Hall Literature. Trans. Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood. Upper Saddle: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004. 182-89. Print.
V for Vendetta. Dir. James McTeigue. Perf. Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving. Warner Brothers, 2005. DVD.
When comparing different societies in ancient history you may not think that Han China and Ancient Rome had a lot in common. These two great societies had many similarities and differences, especially in their social structures. These similarities and differences are all due to Han China’s and Ancient Rome’s governments, family structures and religions. Both of these wonderful empires lasted for approximately 400 years and had lasting effects on the lands they conquered.
V for Vendetta Dir. James McTeigue. Perf. Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea and John Hurt. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2006. Film
24 Amore, Roy C. and Julia Ching. The Buddhist Tradition. In Willard G. Oxtoby, Ed. World Religions: Eastern Traditions. P. 221
The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most famous, and definitely the most widely-read, ethical text of ancient India. As an episode in India's great epic, the Mahabharata, The Bhagavad Gita now ranks as one of the three principal texts that define and capture the essence of Hinduism; the other two being the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutras. Though this work contains much theology, its kernel is ethical and its teaching is set in the context of an ethical problem. The teaching of The Bhagavad Gita is summed up in the maxim "your business is with the deed and not with the result." When Arjuna, the third son of king Pandu (dynasty name: Pandavas) is about to begin a war that became inevitable once his one hundred cousins belonging to the Kaurava dynasty refused to return even a few villages to the five Pandava brothers after their return from enforced exile, he looks at his cousins, uncles and friends standing on the other side of the battlefield and wonders whether he is morally prepared and justified in killing his blood relations even though it was he, along with his brother Bhima, who had courageously prepared for this war. Arjuna is certain that he would be victorious in this war since he has Lord Krishna (one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu) on his side. He is able to visualize the scene at the end of the battle; the dead bodies of his cousins lying on the battlefield, motionless and incapable of vengeance. It is then that he looses his nerve to fight.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Dir. Michel Gondry. Perf. Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet. Focus Features, 2004. DVD.
Inglourious Bastards. Dir. Quentin Tarantino. Perf. Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz. The Weinstein Company, 2009. DVD.
From the beginning of humankind, people have constantly had to deal with inner battles. Many of these issues cease to exist as time goes on, while new ones arise to take their place. There is one issue, however, that has remained consistent throughout time – morality. For centuries, humans have fought against the outside world and themselves to keep their morals properly aligned. The issue of morality is so dominant that it is still plays a vital role in today’s society. This can be seen in wars, law systems, codes of conduct, and religious texts. An example of a religious text where this can be seen is in pages 185 - 188 of the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna, also referred to as “The Blessed One”, guides Arjuna through his inner struggles between
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Dir. Michel Gondry. Perf. Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson. Focus Features, 2004. DVD.
Nivison, David S. The Ways of Confucianism: Investigations in Chinese Philosophy. Ed. Bryan W. Van Norden. Chicago and La Salle, IL: Open Court, 1996.
The Bhagavad-Gita, a portion of the great epic the Mahabharata, is the “most typical expression of Hinduism.” It is eighteen chapters long and was composed around the first century BCE. The sage Samjaya recites the story to the blind king Dhrtarastra, the father of the Kaurava princes. While presenting ideas of wisdom, duty, and liberation in the midst of the rivalry between the Kauravas, the Bhagavad-Gita epitomizes the teachings of Krishna. Focusing specifically on the moral struggle of the Pandava prince Arjuna, the Bhagavad-Gita’s major themes include yoga, karma, dharma, and moksa. Yoga, being discipline or the strict and “attentive cultivation of mental character and meaningful action” , is crucial to the text because it is dharma yoga, acting properly according to one’s dharma, and bhakti yoga, a disciplined life of devotion that allows one to achieve moksa, or liberation, one of the four aims of li...
Philip J. Ivanhoe. Confucian moral self cultivation. New York : P. Lang, vol. 3, 1993.
A large amount of ancient texts contain themes relating to violence, power, and war, while others, such as The Bhagavad Gita and Confucius’ Analects, focus on individual and collective development through a series of selfless acts. The two texts provide an in-depth system of duties and learning created to provide direction for the betterment of the self, as well as society as a whole. The Bhagavad Gita places a greater focus on the duties of individuals that must be fulfilled to achieve an enlightened state with the divine forces. Contradictory consequences are presented for those who choose to act in an egotistical manner and deny their duties. Confucius’ Analects, on the other hand, places its main focus on collective development and responsibility
Can a human beings in society behave in a moral way at all times? Is there truly universal moral principles for everyone? Are human beings logical enough to recognize and follow these principles? These are some of the most problematic and most challenging questions that moralists have attempted to clarify. Obviously, something is keeping society half-way civilized and able to resolve moral value conflicts. Universal morals are like societies set of unwritten rules that are forced onto a developed society. There is a set of universal principles that applies to everyone at all times, like do not kill and do not steal.
Ever since I was young, I have always tried to be friendly and sympathetic- to bring someone to smile an extra time in their day. Throughout my junior and senior year, I was captain of my high school's tennis team. For four weekends, one every month, our team held a tryout tournament. I worked the tournament desk, and greeted the incoming freshman, along with their parents, both with worried looks on their faces. Sitting there at the desk, I reminisced on the nerves I felt that dreaded day of tryouts, so every child that came to the desk to check in, I introduced myself, and welcomed them to the tournament. It was clear to see that I eased their nerves. Even if it lasted only for a second, I knew that my welcoming them helped them feel more at home at seemingly nerve racking event.
Pride and Prejudice. Dir. Joe Wright. Perf. Keira Knightley and Matthew Mcfadyen. 2005. DVD. Focus Features, 2006.