Midterm Exam questions

1. How can floriculture be seen as a information caused by politics or morality? What ar the main ideas behind those theories?The reading of cultivation as caused by worship and politics is comprehended when seeing how this stinting activity affects fodder its tote up and outturn. Food, when its tot is limited and its acquisition is very difficult, tends to be equ in ally distributed among those who fixd in its production.This was what characterized the primarily stages of our evolution. Everything, from fodder gathering and hunting, to cooking and eating, were complaisant in character because man was faveol consume against an environment that he still did non master. Thus, working together was the sole expression in which man was able to suit to his environment and in conclusion survive.Cooking, with mans discovery of fire, and subsequently eating sustenance carried with it certain rituals that celebrated its availability and the gay sustenance it will provide. As this act of mastering and c abeyance genius as a culture continued, other ship canal of producing corkinger and more than reliable amounts of food were discovered as in carnal domestication and agriculture.When production activities eventually produced more food than what the complaisant group needed, it was wherefore that inequality in terms of the diffusion of work involved and of its products emerged (p.51). This was what characterized the earlier dispute of man with plant propagation.While the elite group (the nobility or those who ruled) do non work because they have the land, they had an abundance of food. They ar categorized as the non-food producers of cabaret. Below them in the class structure, farmers toiled in the field and ate less, giving land tribute to those who owned it. This kind of politics or the might over access to food with come out of the closet truly engaging in its advertize enabled the elites to tie and further develop knowledge, not merely in production but in warfare, philosophy, organized worship and the learnings.The hearty rituals involved in the pre-agriculture direction of life of man, gave chute to religions that were coordinated into the cycles of agricultural food production (p.52). to each unitary stage of the cycle involves rituals that would ensure a season of plenty and bountiful harvests are celebrated with grand, religious festivals of eating the fields first produce. For recitation, the Aztecs conducted mass eating of tabu beans and corn stew, ingredients that came from the seasons harvests.Hence, twain(prenominal) the political system and religious practices realized the role of agriculture in confederacys systems of food acquisition.2. What are the joint features of government and religion crosswise all the river valley civilizations? Why were they car park?Civilizations tended to rise in river valley areas because the physical conditions of these environments permitted a sust ainable source of water for agriculture. This is a far better situation as opposed to farmers dependence on irregular rain fall.The waters too served as carriers of minerals vital to the maintenance of soil fertility. A reliable supply of water direction a higher probability of superior(p) crops and severe harvest. Good harvest as well as means food abundance or pleonastic, sympathetic energy and life. The excess in food supply enabled man to engage in other fields of human development.Governments or their political structures are overly quite similar in that in that location are rulers-emperors and pharaohs for example, who belong to the elite class. lot them as officials are the religious (priests, scribes) and array leaders and bureaucrats. Governments are centralized with institutionalize ways of administration as show in the rights, codes and policies enacted and en kingd finished force or otherwise (p.79).The consolidated political control over the whole state returned in an integrated economy and a homogenous culture (p.86). Hence, the trading of the tautological of stinting production by means of the labor of farmers or artisans became possible and gave rise to a class of merchants and merchandisers.Trading, or the export of excess food and other products and the import of food and other products not available locally, was a financially lucrative enterprise for elites and governments, not to mention the luxury food and non-food items they acquired out of it.Hence, kingdoms, empires and dynasties waged conquests upon their neighbors to control trade i.e. to eliminate disceptation (p.95). The enhancement of its highroads (i.e. master the rivers, seas and land for trade) was similarly unity objective. The history of the Silk Road is an example of this.These imperialist undertakings also made way for them to obtain other tradable resources made wide in the conquered societies done the latters own production efforts (p.96). In this manner of establishing control of others through force, they also protected their societys resources (including their food supply).Religions across the river valley civilizations are characterized as involving elements of the indwelling environment as their gods (p.64). The Hindus considered water and both(prenominal) animals as sacred, Chinese religions centered on mans harmony and adept with character, civilizations pay tribute to the sun and moon.Incidentally, religion was not separate from government and their divinity fudge involved not honorable one but legion(predicate) deities who form a hierarchical system. Their practices reflect their interaction with nature as in crop cultivation, hunting, silk production, pottery making, etc. However, these religions were influenced by other religions as cultural contact as the result of trade became possible.The commonalities in government and religion among river valley civilizations stems from the same objective economic and political conditions which are consequences of their capacities to produce surplus food and other products for human consumption, adjustment to their environment.3. What common characteristics of the empires of Assyria and Babylon share? What factors caused their failure?The empires of Assyria and Babylon were both river valley civilizations located in what is called the stiff Crescent, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. They both had a developed agricultural production, engaged in trading, philosophy, science and technology, the latter leading them to build ships, hanging gardens and more sophisticated weapons. They both had armies and conducted imperialistic conquests of each other and neighboring states. visitation was mostly due to internal instabilities of their empires (p.105). For instance, Assyria cerebrate so much on war, its soldiers and related technologies, spreading its armies so light in efforts to conquer as many other states as possible. Their thin publ ic exposure made them vulnerable to other empire-states who were later the same objective or who just did not wish to be keep down and reduced to slave labor.As a result, the basic agricultural production for food was neglected as more of the population became soldiers. More importantly, diversification of food production was not considered significant to merit attention. trustfulness on just one method of domestic food production as well as conquest and trade for obtaining resources also fostered reliance on the great rivers for irrigation as a trade route (p.126).This did not prepare them for environmental and humour shifts wherein the rivers receded and became heavily silted adversely affecting agriculture and trade. Partner states in trade also ceased to engage in it because of their own proper(postnominal) internal problems. The resulting limitations in food and resources supply led to more wars and conquests which characterized the region of Mesopotamia and eventually wo re down some of the empires (p.127).4. Compare and production line the three Chinese philosophical ideologies Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism.Taoism is an political orientation that focuses on the individual and his lifes mission of finding his place in the world. In order to achieve this, one has to study nature and ones self as integral to it. Taoism set ups a view of nature whose beauty and rung is driven by a pervasive power in the universe. Drastic changes to the inherent course of things would ruin this rhythm and symmetricalness (p.316).Confucianism emphasizes unity with ones social and pictorial environment, establishing social stability through non-violent means (p.317). Man should nurture himself and the natural environment as well. It teaches adherence to societys determine and rituals, the hierarchical social order, education for further self-development and the governments role of earning trust through ensuring and defend public welfare. It further promotes the common good in every endeavor through both individual and cooperative efforts.Legalism on the other hand, teaches the absolute rule of equity in creating social stability. Because man is considered as innately self-centered, punishing those who break the law and rewarding those who adhere to it makes good deal law-abiding. It advocated utilitarianism, or engaging in activities that directly benefits others much(prenominal) as agriculture (p.317).Both Taoism and Confucianism promote harmony with the environment season Legalism, through its utilitarian principles, sought the labor of people in transforming the environment through agriculture, the construct of the Great Wall and others. While Taoism values the individual, Confucianism values the social structure opus Legalism, the law.Nature unobstructed is central to Taoism, while Confucianism tends to include promote harmony with nature as well as ever-changing it as long as it constitutes the common good. Legalism discour ages discourse on non-practical matters and focuses on nature only if it is within the realms of the law.ReferenceFernandez-Armesto, F. (2006) The cosmea A History Volume matchless to 1500. New JerseyPrentice Hall.