CHAPTER 4
Question 1. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna shows _____ to Arjuna.
Krishna's divine form
a vision of Arjuna's great-grandson's life
Arjuna's long-lost uncle
a list of the most powerful gods
Question 2. According to the Gita (and Samkhya philosophy, which may have influenced the Gita), the soul
consists of three parts: the rational soul, the sensitive soul, and the vegetative soul.
watches the body's activity without performing an action of its own.
is made of a subtle kind of matter called prana.
is visible for a brief moment when it leaves the body at death.
Question 3. Some people have questioned whether Buddhism is a religion because Buddhism does not include
a supreme being who created the universe.
monks and nuns.
sacred texts.
rituals.
Question 4. One similarity between Hinduism and Buddhism is that they both
accept the authority of the Vedas.
had a single historical founder.
traditionally include a belief in reincarnation.
are popular in China and Japan.
Question 5. According to Buddhism, all life is full of suffering. In this context, "suffering" means not physical pain but the frustration that we feel when life doesn't go the way we want or when what we want is dissatisfying. Buddhist philosophers claim that only enlightenment provides an escape from suffering. Suppose that, by taking a pill, you could permanently stop yourself from feeling suffering. Would you take the pill? Why or why not?
There is no single correct answer. I will grade your answer based on (a) clarity, (b) logic, and (c) consistency (not contradicting yourself).
Please write less than 300 words.
CHAPTER 5
Question 1. Buddhist philosophers in general agree that there is no
mind.
self.
body.
reincarnation.
Question 2. One difference between Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism is that
Mahayana Buddhism started in India but Theravada Buddhist started in India.
Theravada Buddhism includes a creator god but Mahayana Buddhism does not.
Theravada Buddhism emphasizes the idea of escaping from reincarnation but Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes the idea of returning to help other beings.
Mahayana Buddhist philosophers claim that time flows in only one direction but Theravada Buddhist philosophers claim that time can move both forward and backward.
Question 3. In one of the texts that I assigned as reading and that we discussed in class, the Buddha says that the five parts of a person (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness) are
impermanent.
completely physical.
eternal.
made mostly of water.
Question 4. What is one way Neolithic cultures differ from Paleolithic cultures?
Neolithic cultures produce their own food instead of hunting and gathering it.
Neolithic cultures use metal tools.
Neolithic cultures are less technologically advanced than Paleolithic cultures.
Neolithic cultures use electricity.
Question 5. The textbook and lecture mention that Thailand has its own version of the
Rig Veda.
Bhagavad-Gita.
Diamond Sutra.
Ramayana.
CHAPTER 6
Question 1. In the documentary The Three Worlds of Bali, the Balinese are preparing for
the construction of the first McDonalds on the island of Bali.
the construction of a "Temple of Literature" in honor of Confucius
a special dance performance to commemorate the marriage of Indonesia's president.
a ceremony called EkaDesaRudra, which involved gods and demons.
Question 2. One person who appears in The Three Worlds of Bali is a
shadow puppeteer.
unicycle repairman.
Buddhist missionary.
science fiction enthusiast.
Question 3. According to both lecture and the textbook, the remains of the Shang Dynasty include
pieces of pottery obtained through trade with India.
small medallions intended for use as mind control devices.
bones inscribed with questions for the spiritual realm.
a large number of paintings of tigers.
Question 4. You are in a helicopter and see two sinking lifeboats in shark-infested water. Your mother is in one of the lifeboats. Two strangers are in the other. You have time to save the inhabitant(s) of only one of the lifeboats. What should you do?
Match each Chinese philosopher with the answer that he would probably give.
Kongzi
Mozi
Laozi
A. Rescue the two strangers.
B. Rescue your mother.
C. [It's unclear what this philosopher would say.]
Question 5. You have become an executive at a company, and you want to make a name for yourself. What should your first priority be?
Match each Chinese philosopher with the answer that he would probably give. Use each answer only once.
Kongzi
Mozi
Laozi
A. Forget about making a name for yourself, quit your job, get a small house, and relax.
B. Come up with business plans that will produce the greatest overall benefits for shareholders, society, and the environment.
C. Become the most excellent and virtuous person you can be so that all the employees respect you and automatically want to obey you.
CHAPTER 7
Question 1. In 300 words or less, please describe one way in which Mozi's ideas show up in the film Battle of theWarriors, which we watched in class. I will grade your answer based on (a) clarity, (b) logic, and (c) consistency (not contradicting yourself).
Question 2. The following are some of Mozi's ideas. Which ones did Mengzi disagree with? (You can choose more than one answer.)
The states of the Warring States Period should not be attacking each other.
You should care about everyone equally.
Kings should care more about the welfare of their people.
When you are deciding what to do, your main focus should be on producing the best results.
Question 3. You are a skilled teacher. Your father is sick. He has another caregiver, but he likes having you around, and you like to help him. An organization that helps to educate underprivileged kids in developing countries wants to recruit you. You can stay home and help care for your father, or you can leave and join the organization. What would Mengzi say you should do?
Stay home because you enjoy helping your father and you should put yourself before everyone else.
Stay home because you should care more about those closer to you than about those you have less of a connection to you.
Join the organization because it is important for parents to learn to let go of their children.
Join the organization because you should care about those kids as much as you care about your father.
Question 4. One disagreement between Mengzi and Xunzi is that
Mengzi is a follower of Mozi, but Xunzi is a Confucian.
Mengzi thinks that selfishness is a virtue, but Xunzi thinks that selfishness is a flaw.
Mengzi thinks that rituals are important for building character, but Xunzi thinks that rituals are unimportant.
Mengzi thinks that human nature is good, but Xunzi thinks that human nature is not good.
CHAPTER 8
Question 1. Hanfeizi thinks that only a powerful ruler can prevent conflict. He considers some objections to the idea of a powerful ruler. What is one objection that he considers?
Power can be used for evil.
Giving all the power to one person is unfair to those with less power.
There is no way to concentrate power in the hands of one person.
There is no effective way for a ruler to maintain absolute power.
Question 2. When Buddhism arrived in China, the Buddhist ideal of becoming a monk conflicted with which Confucian value?
Benevolence
Politeness
Filial piety
Studying
Question 3. According to lecture and the textbook, neo-Confucianism resulted partly from a Confucian backlash against
Daoism.
Shinto.
Mohism.
Buddhism
Question 4. Because of the Confucian emphasis on respect for parents and ancestors, some Confucian texts say that if there is a fire in a home, the first thing that the family should rescue is
the parents' jewelry.
paintings of parents and ancestors.
the tablets in the ancestral hall.
the grandparents' clothes.
Question 5. In lecture, I mentioned that, under Mao Zedong, the communists' destruction of traditional Confucian practices led to a higher status for
aristocrats.
women.
animals.
scholars.
Question 6. In lecture, I mentioned that the first ethnic group to arrive in Japan has some traditional practices involving
bears.
geese.
frogs.
horses.
Question 7. Queen Himiko, an early Japanese ruler who made an alliance with China, was both a queen and a
actress.
general.
dancer.
shaman.
Question 8. The religion of Shinto
was invented by Japanese emperors and imposed on the people, who were previously Buddhist.
began as local traditions among the common people but was used by the emperors to justify their power.
is practiced mainly among the Ainu and was only recently adopted by ethnic Japanese.
began in India and slowly merged with Buddhism, then traveled to Japan along with Buddhist missionaries.
Question 9. For part of Japanese history, there was a feudal system in which local lords gained power. According to lecture and the textbook, this feudal system arose partly because of the lords' efforts to avoid
having their subordinates drafted by the emperor.
bowing to the emperor.
paying taxes.
imperial control over Shinto religious practices.
Question 10. There are important differences between Japanese Zen Buddhism and the ancient Indian Buddhist philosophy that we studied earlier in the quarter. One difference that I mentioned in lecture is that Zen Buddhism
has more sects and subgroups than ancient Indian Buddhist philosophy did.
focuses on interpreting written texts more than Indian Buddhist philosophers did.
includes fewer rituals than Indian Buddhism does.
does not trust logical reasoning as much as Indian Buddhist philosophy did.
CHAPTER 9
Question 1. According to the textbook (Heinz 313-314), the legend of the Forty-Seven Loyal Ronin expresses the values of the _____ class.
shogun
samurai
emperor
commoner
Question 2. Review the information about the Chinese shenshi (Confucian-educated government officials) and about the Japanese samurai, and then answer this question. On page 318, your textbook notes that samurai culture and the culture of the shenshi were both based on Confucianism. The textbook says that this is an example of "how structures of power and historically embedded social actors can utilize philosophies in tremendously diverse ways." Which of the following situations is most similar to what the textbook describes?
Shipbuilders in the United States and France using the same construction techniques.
Ancient Greeks and modern professors using the word "philosophy" to mean two different things.
Two political parties with different platforms both claiming to follow the values of the country's founders.
Two different groups of researchers independently reaching the same conclusion.
Question 3. In the movie Your Name, the main female character and her sister are both seen working as
kami.
mori.
matsuri.
miko.
Question 4. While screening Your Name, I noted how the main female character's sister calls her "onee-chan" and the main male character calls his coworker "senpai". I said that "chan" and "senpai" are examples of
very ancient parts of the Japanese language.
terms usually used for people older than oneself.
terms that can be used to refer to both males and females.
honorifics that can be added to the end of names.
Question 5. In Your Name, the main female character is dissatisfied with
her grandmother's caretaking.
her grades in school.
her sister's personality.
her life in her hometown.
CHAPTER 10
Question 1. British colonialism in India began when
the British monarchy launched an invasion of India.
the British East India Company began to gain political control over India.
local rulers in India sold portions of their territories to the British government.
France gave Britain control over India in exchange for military support.
Question 2. Which European country was the first to begin colonizing Asia during the colonial period?
Spain
Portugal
France
Britain
Question 3. Britain went to war with China to guarantee that the British would be able to sell _____ to the Chinese.
opium
spices
rubber
wool
Question 4. Near the beginning of the chapter on the colonial period, Heinz discusses postcolonialism. She identifies three meanings of postcolonialism:. the period after the colonial period
2. the continuing cultural impact of colonialism
3. "the drive to deconstruct [colonialism's] remnants"--that is, attempts to question the ideas that came out of the colonial period
Lecture and the textbook mention that postcolonialism, in the third sense, includes discussions of the relationship between colonialism and _____ values.
religious
German
ancient Greek
Enlightenment
Question 5. We watched the movie Gandhi in class. One of the movie's themes is the influence of _____ ideas on Gandhi's thought.
religious
Chinese
French
scientific
CHAPTER EXTRA
Question 1. On pages 79-80, our textbook (Heinz) lists some characteristics of tribal societies. Read that list, and then choose the option that is most similar to a tribal society. (You may need to do some quick research about the options listed below.)
Irish immigrant workers living in Boston in the 19th century
The Amish communities in the United States
Native English speakers teaching English in Japan
South Asian immigrants in Britain
Question 2. On pp. 86-87, Heinz describes how the Thai became an ethnic group. What purpose does this discussion serve within the chapter?
The discussion shows that the Thai people are just as "tribal' as the Hmong minority living in Thailand.
The discussion shows how much pressure states often put on ethnic minorities to assimilate to the dominant culture.
The discussion shows that ethnic groups are not permanent or natural but are, instead, constructed by human beings.
The discussion shows the historical roots of the 18th-century opium crisis in China.
Question 3. In the first section of the India chapter (the section titled "An 'Empire of the Spirit'", Heinz points out that China had a native tradition of writing history but India did not. According to Heinz, what is one reason for this difference?
Unlike China, India did not have an intellectual class.
The Chinese had been literate for longer than the Indians.
Indian intellectuals were more interested in spiritual questions and moral ideals than in actual historical events.
Environmental conditions in China made the preservation of historical texts easier than the environmental conditions in India.
Question 4. Read the textbook's discussion of the Indian concept of dharma (Heinz 123). Which of the following is most similar to svadharma?
Your responsibilty to apply the law correctly if you are a judge
Your responsibility to live up to your own personal code of ethics
Your responsibility to be polite to the people you interact with throughout the day
Your responsibility to look after your belongings when you are in a public place
Question 5. The Bhagavad-Gita begins with a disagreement between Arjuna and Krishna about
whetherArjuna should fight.
what the nature of the soul is.
whether reincarnation occurs.
how many enemies there are in the opposing army.
Question 6. According to the textbook, the British colonial rulers of India replaced the practice of ________ with a secular system of taxation.
kings asking Hindu gods for prosperity and wealth
having laypeople donate daily gifts of food to Buddhist monks
recording caste-based rules in religious texts
establishing kingly authority by giving and receiving gifts
Question 7. In the Indian context, the term "caste system" refers to two different systems: varna and jati. Which of the following statements is true?
Varnas are hereditary; jatis are not.
Jatis are smaller and more specific than varnas.
A Hindu can usually marry outside of his/her jati but not outside of his/her varna.
Each jati contains several varnas.
Question 8. Read the description of Brahman, atma (also called "atman"), samsara, and moksha on Heinz 164-166. (The moksha that Heinz describes is the moksha of Advaita Vedanta Hinduism. As we saw in class, there are other forms of Hinduism.) In discussions of Brahman, atma, samsara, and moksha, people often use the metaphor of a water droplet dissolving into the ocean. In this metaphor, what corresponds to what?
The water droplet
The ocean
The dissolving
The forces that were stopping the droplet from returning to the ocean
A. Samsara
B. Moksha
C. Brahman
D. Atma
Question 9. According to the textbook (see Heinz 192-193), Indian culture came to dominate Southeast Asia because
Indian rulers conquered Southeast Asia and forced Southeast Asians to adopt Indian religions.
The view of the universe and the state that we find in Indian culture was appealing to Southeast Asian rulers.
Southeast Asians adopted Indian customs in order to make Indian traders more comfortable in Southeast Asia.
Chinese and Islamic merchants brought stories about India that fascinated Southeast Asians and made them want to study Indian culture.
Question 10. At the beginning of the China chapter, your textbook presents an imaginary history of Europe (Heinz 223, 2nd paragraph). In this imaginary history, "the social philosophy of Socrates is continually elaborated, becoming a kind of civil religion throughout this vast realm." Socrates in this imaginary European history corresponds to _____ in real Chinese history.
Kongzi
Laozi
Mozi
Xunzi