1. After sketching the origins of Confucianism, explain the basic teachings of K'ung Fu-tzu
from the origins to the days of the T'ang. Explain in detail 'harmony', the five basic relationships, jen,
Tung Chung-shu, K'ung Fu-tzu, and Kao Tsu.
2. The Ch'in Emperor, with the support of the Legalist scholars Li Ssu and Han Fei-tzu, united China around
221 B.C., creating a Chinese universal (imperial) monarchy. Define and characterize the Chinese
universal monarchy. Provide details on nature; political, social and economic structures;
and justification of this universal monarchy from the days of the Ch'in and Han.
3. Describe the origins, development, and nature of the Persian tradition. (Discuss Mazdayasnianism,
the great Achaemenid kings, their most important values, their universal monarchy, and how
they rationalized or justified the latter.)
4. Using the case of the Persian Universal Monarchy of Cyrus the Great and his dynasty,
describe and characterize universal monarchy. Provide details on the nature; political,
social and economic structures; and justification of the Persian example.
5. Explain the basic teachings of Hinduism and identify its origins and development from the
Vedic-Aryan invasions through the Gupta period. Explain in detail the changes associated with the
Brahmanical, Upanishad and Darmashastra texts.
6. Explain the basic teaching and identify the origins and development of Buddhism from
the beginning through the Gupta period. Explicate the Four Noble Truths, the Eight-fold Path,
the Five Basic Precepts, the term 'Middle Path', and the Mahayana and Hinayana forms of Buddhism.
7. Describe the origins, structure, and nature of the Mauryan Empire. Provide details on all
aspects of this question, including especially the characteristics and structure of the state.
8. "Village rule was the rule." In the case of Mauryan and Guptan India, what does this
statement mean?
9. Who were the Guptas, what did they do and what is the significance of the period from
roughly 320-657.
10. Show how the caste system represented both a complex division of labor and a religious
status. Begin by identifying and explaining the varna.
11. After briefly discussing their origins, define and characterize Hellenistic Stoicism
and/or Epicureanism.
12. Explicate the origins and characteristics of Hellenistic Skepticism and identify the
two major versions thereof.
13. After identifying and characterizing the philosophies produced by the Hellenistic age,
explain how they differed from those of the Hellenic age.
14. Confucianism, Mazdayasnianism, and Hinduism all provided means for building or
organizing (constructing), on the one hand, and justifying (rationalizing), on the other
hand, universal monarchies with powerful central executive offices and bureaucratic support,
while allowing a seemingly tolerant treatment of subject peoples and regions. Show in detail
how one or two of these three served in these ways.