Dbq Essay On Religion And Philosophy

Religion and philosophy greatly affect life in many different cultures. Some of these cultures include those of the Ancient Indians and Ancient Chinese.

Firstly, religion and philosophy greatly affected life in Ancient India. Document A states, “India has been an important part of three major world religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.” These religions change people’s day-to-day lives, because of their beliefs. For example, Hindus life their lives based on their dharma, or their spiritual duties they have to fulfill in their lifetime. Hindus believe that by following their dharma and being a good person, they will establish good karma, which is the effect(s) that good or bad actions have on the soul. By establishing good karma, Hindus believe that they will be born into a better caste, or social division. This will definitely change the way people act, since they will want to be born into a better life in

their next reincarnation.
Another religion/philosophy in India, Buddhism, is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha. Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion, since there is no worship involved. It was created as a path to end suffering and reach Nirvana, which is a state of perfect peace. Some important rules/guidelines of Buddhism include the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The Four Noble Truths state that suffering is an inevitable part of life, but by reaching Nirvana, you can end it. The Eightfold Path is the path that you take to achieve Nirvana. Buddhists are most likely following the Eightfold Path to the best of their ability, even right now, so that they can achieve Nirvana and be free from suffering.
As you can see, religion greatly affected, and still affects life in Ancient India.

Religion and philosophy also greatly affected life in Ancient China.

During and after the Warring States period of Chinese history, many different philosophies were developed. One of these such philosophies is Legalism. In Legalism, people believe that no one can be trusted, and that everyone is selfish and evil. It teaches that the only way to get work done is with strict laws and harsh punishments. On the complete opposite side, in Daoism (a.k.a. Taoism), people believed that you don’t really need much of a government. Even the ruler doesn’t really do anything much. They just let the people live. The entire point of Daoism is to achieve “oneness with the Dao,” which is the path, or road to living in harmony with the world and nature. Another philosophy, Confucianism, is all about living in harmony with other people. It basically teaches you to respect your elders, people with more power than you, and people who have more knowledge and experience than you. By following any one of those philosophies, people try to live a good life by changing their

lifestyle.

All in all, religion and philosophy have greatly affected life in Ancient India and China. By adapting to the guidelines of a religion or philosophy, people hope to live a better life.