Compare_and_Contrast_of_China_and_Greco_Rome

During the classical period, the Chinese civilization was a politically stable society with a prosperous economy that flourished for years to come. Meanwhile, the Greco Roman civilization was a complex society that had cultural richness but a long line of bureaucrats and leaders. Both civilizations share striking differences and similarities, such as their religious beliefs and political institutions. Religiously, both these civilizations failed in creating their own unitary belief system. During the Chinese civilization, Confucianism and Daoism were the main religious philosophies. Confucianism emphasized self-control, adherence to a social hierarchy, and social and political order. All of his teachings were abolished during the Qin dynasty due to the creation of legalism, but renewed during the Han dynasty. Confucianism, though, like other religions did not mention the existence of a Supreme deity. The same coincides with Daoism; it mainly stressed and embraced harmony with nature and humble living, but never addressed the presence of a diving being. Differently, the Greco Roman religions believed in a complex set of gods and goddesses who were seen as regulators of human life. This religion never highlighted morality and ethical behavior, but referenced mostly to human passion and foibles. Due to this, the uprising of Christianity came about in Rome under Emperor Constantine. Upper class people became more and more dissatisfied with the polytheistic religions because it lacked spiritual passion and no ethical thought. Nevertheless, both these civilizations lacked interest in religion and focused more on political, cultural and economic prosperity. From a political point of view, these civilizations were extremely different in their establishments. Although, it was said that the Greco Roman civilization’s political ideas and interest showed similarity to the Confucian values of classical China. China’s main political system used was a centralized government. In their centralized government, territories were radiated outward from the emperor through the system of bureaucracy. This method became extremely effective during the Qin dynasty and because of this; it still became used during the Han. Political philosophies such as legalism were enforced so to make civilians to serve the state. This method brought about brutality to the people, and wasn’t used during the successive dynasty, the Han. Inversely, Greco Roman society’s politics emphasized democracy in Athens and aristocratic rule in Rome. Democracy was used so to allow citizens choose their preferred policies. This didn’t prove to be as effective as expected. Women were not allowed to vote due to the fact that they were in a patriarchal society. Also, half of all adult males were slaves or foreigners giving them no possible chance of voting. In Rome, aristocrats basically controlled Rome because The Senate composed of them and the Senate was the main legislative power. The Roman government emphasized law and helped in maintaining the system of military forces. The political institutions between Greco Rome and China differ in so many ways and barely show any similarities whatsoever. Classical China maintained their centralized government while politics in Greco Rome waned such as the Senate in Rome. The last classical dynasty, the Han fell due to nomadic invasions and the inability of the centralized government to control corrupted local leaders and bureaucrats. Rome suffered all these tragedies, mainly due to the loss of morale among Roman elites. China revived its empire later on, but Rome collapsed totally, marking the most significant and most complex downfall ever known to mankind.