Confucius and Hammurabi's code
1.How would you characterize different conceptions of government and authority in the work of Confucius and Hammurabi's code? How would you account for the differences? Contrasting the opposing viewpoints of how Confucius and Hammurabi viewed government and authority is analogous to comparing democracy to dictatorship. Confucius advocated a government in which the sovereign is benevolent and honorable and the subjects are respectful and compliant. Respect, however, should be earned and thus a leader's objectives must be those that will benefit his people. Such a government would be more susceptible to the needs of the people. Hammurabi's code, on the other hand, is very rigid and strict. Hammurabi proclaims himself to be infallible and his words are absolute. The code is very straightforward and specific. The difference of Hammurabi and Confucius・position on how to run a government stems from the fact that the viewpoints of each come from two d
Hammurabi, on the other hand, is from the ruling class. If that be the case, perhaps the two are not so different after all. The question that arises, however, is if these ideas were implemented at all. He may already have a set of preconceptions on how the common folk act. ・Confucius is saying that the more inflexible and totalitarian a government is, the more people will rebel. This is certainly the case with Confucius and Hammurabi. Hammurabi also unified the Mesopotamian Empire through military conquest and domination of all nearby rivals. As a philosopher, Confucius is able to observe his society and reflect upon what he deems is beneficial to his people. He looks at the world around him and tries to find the underlying reality. Confucius・ideas were rarely heeded by the rulers of his era because they would prove detrimental to their power. As a ruler he needs to effectively govern his country. In contrast, Hammurabi, a ruler, has no interest in this kind of thinking. A ruler must also take these things into consideration but he also must keep order and peace.
Common topics in this essay:
Confucius Hammurabi,
Hammurabi Confucius・position,
Mesopotamian Empire,
Confucius Hammurabi's,
,
confucius hammurabi,
positions societies reflect,
hammurabi's code,
government authority,
societies reflect,
positions societies,
hammurabi ruler,
|
Acceptance Essays
