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Classical Government and its impact on the citizens

Classical Government and its impact on the citizens. Breaking down more documents. Doc #!. Taoist idea that less government leads to less trouble. People will be transformed will become “rich” manifesting no ambition.

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Classical Government and its impact on the citizens

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  1. Classical Government and its impact on the citizens Breaking down more documents

  2. Doc #! • Taoist idea that less government leads to less trouble. People will be transformed will become “rich” manifesting no ambition. • POV Taoism: the philosophy of the peasants believe in less government to prevent corruption and disorder. One can argue that this helps China’s government to prevent rebellions, however, the Yellow Turban rebellion was led by Taoist • Grouping: Region-China Political or economic with the role of the people (simplicity) or the role of government ( insignificant)

  3. Doc #2 • Confucian role of government in leading by virtue, anti-legalism, teaching as a means of attainment of virtue, realizing people make mistakes but to pardon and learn from them • POV: Confucius would have been esssential in understanding the underpinnings of Han’s civil service bureaucracy. He was, afterall, a teacher whose lessons will serve government well • Grouping: Regional by China, Political thematically but also the role of government in contrast with #1 was more government leading through teaching or virtue

  4. Doc #3 • Thucydides view democracy in Athens as role of the citizen as distinguished through public service and virtue through acts on behalf of its citizenry • POV; Thucydides was a exceptionally literate historian of Athen’s “Golden Age” and may be reacting to Athens demise after the Pelloponesian War (lost to Sparta but also plague) • Grouping: This could be grouped regionally to Greece but also politically to the role of a citizen for providing service. This could be juxtaposed against doc 1 and 2 in that citizens take a more active role in Greece’s democracy

  5. Doc #4 • Summary : views Rome’s empire as one of great virtue, that public elections of Rome’s Republic care for the governed and serve nobly and stay shortly like the myth of Cincinatus( citizen-leader who serves, then leaves) • POV: the stoic virtue embodied in Aristides Oration were one where citizens serve government virtuously and then go back to private life • Grouping: This can be grouped regionally as Rome but also politically, the Republic clearly differed from China’s bureaucracy and Greece’s Direct Democracy. Aristedes is praising the Empire so , therefore, is legitimizing/justifying the new Empire (Republic in name only)

  6. Doc #5 • Summary: looks at the discipline of the citizens of the Greek polis of Sparta and then of Athens. He admires virtues of austerity (making the most out of very little). He did not wish to see citizens involved in leisure, trade or mechanical arts.He encouraged productivity. • POV : Plutarch was a Greek living in the Roman Empire and was definitely playing to his audience which was either Rome’s need for military and citizen service or admonishment of the frivolity of Roman behavior. • Grouping: This can be the region of Rome or the role of economic citizenry. It focus much more on the citizen and less so than the government. It can be coupled with either Rome’s docs or doc # 2 in comparing citizen’s role.

  7. Doc#6 • Summary: Evaluate a pragmatic concern balancing both doc #2 vision on serving government honorably and with virtue and doc #2 vision of maintaining simplicity and leaving things alone • POV As court historian SimaCh’ien was adhering to his Confucian values of the 5 relationships whilst balancing the needs and duties of the Taoist population to prevent any potential rebellion. • Grouping: While this may be grouped with the rest of the documents concerning China, it can also be grouped with Plutarchs attempt at balancing diversity or even doc #3 in the balance and virtues of the citizen service performed to government.

  8. Missing Voice: Additional Document • The perspective of a soldier receiving citizenship would add value to see how Roman soldiers saw their role providing protection as many who contributed to Rome’s fall did not receive this • An Athenian who was ostracized would give a rather negative view of a citizens role as they were banished due to the democratic vote to kick them out • A legalist from China’s army in the Han Dynasty would vehemently disagree with docs one and two being diametrically opposed to both views on governance

  9. Thesis • In the Classical world Empires like the Han had a divergence of opinion as to the citizens role, Greece’s direct democracy held an opinion of the citizen serving virtuously while in Rome the transition from Republic to empire saw the service of the citizen in government to be done briefly and without reacting in a troublesome manner.

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