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From Cunningham. Culture and Values, 5th Edition, Volume 1 Requirements of a civilization: Some form of urban life (construction of permanent settlements) Development of distinct social classes Tools for the production of goods Some form of written communication Shared system of religious belief “Civilized” does not imply a value judgment Some of what follows owes a debt to The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, 7th Edition, Volume 1 Masterpieces of
the Ancient World
Mesopotamia--Great cities: These civilizations were immemorially old when the three creators of Western culture were born: the Hebrews, the Greeks, and the Romans A Roman chariot’s span was 4’ 9”—the width of a Roman chariot built to hold two legionnaires side-by-side. What has it to do with us today? Most of what we will be reading is an attempt by humans to explain their human situation: living raises questions regardless of era: Is there a God (gods)? What is God (the gods) like? What is our relationship to God (the gods)? How were the universe and we created? Why were the universe and we created? What, if anything, is or purpose on earth? (Why are we here?) Why do we suffer? Why do we die? What happens to us after death? Why do events occur the way they do? What, if anything, controls them? Why is experience fickle—in other words, why do events sometimes favor us and sometimes oppose us? Can we influence events, shape their outcome to our advantage? |
