Tang Dynasty

The categorical imperative, to Immanuel Kant, is an overarching principle of acting towards others the way you would like for them to treat everybody else; a slight furtherance of the ‘Golden Rule’(Where your actions are based upon the way you would like them to treat you). The categorical imperative creates a moral basis based upon one’s understanding of their own individuality coupled with an empathetic understanding of those around them, based upon their precepts that they’ve come to…

Podcast Critique: The China History Podcast: “The Opium War” Laszlo Montgomery’s podcast, The China History Podcast: “The Opium War” discusses the background, causes and effects of the First Opium War, which lasted from 1839 to 1842 and ended with the first of the “unequal treaties”, the Treaty of Nanjing, which forced China to cede Hong Kong and several harbors to the British Empire. The podcast has one speaker and is primarily informational with an informal tone. One event that Montgomery…

Taoism and Confucianism both originated in China, but these two philosophies compare and contrast in many ways. Though Taoism is a harmonious practice, it still advocates one’s rights in society. Taoists believe that people should be themselves without any form of barrier. On the other hand, Confucians believe that there is an order in the universe, being that it’s determined by human relations (Zakariadze, 2017). Taoism is a religio-philosophical tradition that has been a part of the Chinese…

1. In what sense are the two notions of Yin and Yang fundamental to the understanding of Chinese religions? According to Mark Cartwright, the Yin and Yan are fundamental to the understanding of Chinese religions because it explains the Chinese principle that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites, for example, day and night, male and female or hot and cold. The two opposites attract and complement each other and, as their symbol illustrates, each side has at its core an…

Finding Kukan proved to be an exciting, and intriguing story of Li Ling-Ai. The filmmaker, Robin Lung produced an educational, and engaging documentary. The main goals of Robin Lung was to ensure that Li Ling-Ai’s story would not be lost in history, as well as to educate viewers of the war in China. Robin Lung’s passion, and dedication to these goals is glaringly obvious while viewing Finding Kukan. As a result, the documentary has won numerous awards across the United States. Li Ling-Ali lived…

Life as an Ottoman Subject During the Reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II: The Resurrection of a Constitution The power of the Ottoman Sultan knew no bounds, and the consequences of Abdulhamid II’s poor authority were felt by everyone but the Sultan. Anyone who supported the 1876 Ottoman Constitution was not an aid to the Sultan either which can be seen by the fact that he revoked the Constitution’s power early in his reign. All levels of people were affected by the Sultan’s expectations and actions,…

and The Peach Blossom Fan all share a common theme in which a young woman defy the social constraints and expectations imposed upon her by society in order to live a life on her own terms. The Story of the Western Wing was written during the Yuan Dynasty and during this time period, Confucianism teachings shaped the political and social structure of the society. Confucianism established several expectations for women, all of which Oriole, the female lead of the play, is expected to obey.…

Confident, fearless and handsome, King Henry VIII had the making of a perfect Disney prince. When the young Tudor was seventeen years old, Saint Thomas More spoke highly of him as he ascended the English throne in 1509 (Graves, 2003, p.1). In his youth, Henry was already well versed in many languages, including French and Latin, and educated in mathematics, medicine, theology and other scholastic domains. His figure was also impressive with a frame of six feet, two inches and an avid sportsman…

Trade has been a universal practice since the beginning of time, occurring not only among members belonging to one civilization, but between other societies as well. Trade was a way for people to have access to resources they otherwise would not be able to have. While trade across land was common, trade by water began to gain more popularity with the invention of better boats. One of the most well-known seas that had much trade occur upon it, is the Mediterranean Sea. Being able to access these…

corners raise like the image of flying birds. It has several functions, such as expand the surface of natural light, or facilitate the drainage of rainwater. The Kuiwen Hall has four layers of dougong (四層斗拱), while the most for five layers in the Qing Dynasty, indicates the high technological construction of the hall. It is a two-storey building, with a hidden floor at the middle. Columns of the upper floor are placed on the dougong of the lower…