The Axial Age 800 BCE-200 CE

Reading Answer/address: Describe the Axial Age (5-6 sentences) What was going on during the previous eras? What changed? How? Why? Identify and explain three major consequences of the AA.

The Origin of the Axial Age According to the Axial Age Theory, the philosophy behind the world’s major religions sprang from a six-hundred year span of time in the first millennium BCE

Abraham to Jesus: 18 Centuries Between First Millennium BCE ABRAHAM MOSES DAVID 8th JESUS Egypt Exile 19th 18th 17th 16th 15th 14th 13th 12th 11th 10th 9 th 8 th 7 th 6 th 5 th 4 th 3 rd 2 nd 1 st 1 st Axial Age ZOROASTRIANISM CONFUCIANISM HELLENISM MYSTERIES BUDDHISM HINDUISM JUDAISM TAOISM Right – the old river valley civilizations had such a bleak outlook on like – it was violent and sad and they were at the mercy of the gods. Then people started trying to figure out why the world was the way it was and why people operated the way they did Red Consciousness: Egocentric, Bold, Violent 1ST ISAIAH AMOS HOSEA MICAH Blue Consciousness: Authoritative, Ordered BCE CE RED TO BLUE

Definition of the Axial Age: Major shift in human thinking Spread out geographically from East Mediterranean to China New ideas and developments in religions and philosophies-still important today What are the problems of human nature? How do we solve them, both politically and socially?

Causes of the Axial Age Inseparable networks-politically and economically World is expanding! And… so is conflict Increase in contact, trade, warfare Increase in population and urbanization Challenges to the traditional order Social upheaval and political turmoil  how do we solve this?

Development of New Religions and Belief Systems In the years centering around 600 BCE, great advances occurred independently and almost simultaneously in: East Asia: Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, Shintoism India: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism Greece: Hellenism/Greek Rationalism Middle East: Judaism (already in existence), Zoroastrianism, and, later: Christianity and Islam

Key ideas of the axial age: Shift toward monotheism Internalization of right and wrong development of a moral conscience as opposed to punishment-reward systems Political, ethical, natural rationalism Why is the world the way it is? Why are humans the way they are? How can we explain all of that?

Natural Rationalism Mathematics and science In Greece Natural Philosophy Theoretical understanding of nature from which individual phenomenon could be explained Attempt to find causes for all natural events

Political and Ethical Rationalism Development of schools of thought that approach human society as a logical problem to solve Debate regarding basic view of human nature Pessimists v. optimists

Greek rationalism: Hellenistic Philosophers Greeks tried to explain human behavior and the meaning of life and the world in four unique ways: Cynicism Epicureanism Stoicism Skepticism

Greek rationalism: Hellenistic Philosophers One question that each group of philosophy school tried to answer was: How do humans achieve happiness?