西方文化导论课后习题答案

(1)GiveabriefaccountofthemajorachievementsofGreekculture,suchasthoseinreligion,philosophy,literatureandscience.GreekreligionreallytookshapeduringtheHomericAgeandfeaturedpolytheismwithgodstakinghumanformandfeeling.GreekreligionmadeagreatcontributiontoGreekliterature,philosophyandart.ItisanimportantoriginofGreekmythologywhichwasfullydevelopedbythereligioustalesoftheHomericepicandthusaffectedthelaterdevelopmentofallkindsofGreekculture.GreekphilosophystartedwithThales(640BC–547BC)whobelievedthatthematerialworldoriginatedinwater.Hisphilosophywasmaterialism.HewasfollowedbyPythagoraswhoassumedthatthekeytotheunderstandingoftheworldisnumbers,ontheoppositionofthespokesmanforidealism.ThecoreGreekphilosophersareSocrates,PlatoandAristotle.Socrateshadscantregardformaterialwealth,butwaskeenonprobingintothedefinitionofsomeethicalandbehavioralissues,suchas“friendship”and“courage”.PlatoestablishedtheAcademy－thefirstGreekinstitutionofhigherlearning.Hiscontributionsincludedhistheoryofideasandhisargumentson“republic”whichwassupposedtoembracehisidealsaboutafuturestatewherehumanscouldenjoyahappylife.Aristotleisalsoalearnedmanandhisworkcoverswide-rangingareas.Hisreputationasaphilosopherlargelydependsonhisargumentonmetaphysicswhichhetriedtoachieveacompromisebetweenmatteranddivinity.LiteraryrepresentationcentredroundthetwoepicpoemsoftheIliadandtheOdyssey,lyricalpoetrybySapphoandPindaranddramabyAeschylus,EuripidesandAristophanes.TheirworkscombinedGreekmythsandsociallifeandwonmuchappreciationandenthusiasmfromthepublic.InsciencethemathematicianEuclidestablishedplanegeometryandArchimedesdiscoveredtheratioofradiusofacircleandtherelationshipbetweenthevolumeandsurfaceofasphere.(2)WhatdoyouthinkoftheinfluenceGreekculturehasexertedonWesterncivilizationasawholeGiveexamples.GreekcultureisoftentermedthecradleoftheWesterncivilizationandhashadanenormousimpactonWesternculture.Thespecificcontributionsarefoundintheareasofphilosophy,politics,literature,art,scienceandarchitecture.GreekpoliticswasoneofthegreatestinfluencesontheWesterncivilization.TheGreekswerethefirsttosuccessfullycreateagovernmentbasedontheconsensusofthepeopleandthusprovidedafoundationforWesterndemocracy.Thesecondsignificantinfluencewasthatofphilosophy.TheSocraticideaaboutethicsandknowledgehelpedtheWesternerscaremorefortheeffectofknowledgeandvalueofmorality,bothofwhichgivesoundguidancetopeopleinthelateryearstoimproveandchangetheworldoutsidethemselves,i.e.,humansocietyandthenaturalworld.LatergenerationsofWesternershavebenefitedalotfromGreekculture,suchasthoseinpainting,sculpture,architecture,drama,poetryandhistoricalworks.ClassicismhadGreekcultureasoneofthecrucialsources,andthishashelpedWesternerssomuchthattheyascribedtheoriginoftheRenaissancetoit.ThischangedtheintellectualconditionsofthelatermedievalperiodandopenedthewaytothemoderneraintheWest.Chapter21.TellbrieflythemajorcharacteristicsandcontributionsofRomanculture,asaredemonstratedinreligion,poetry,historyandarchitecture.Intheearlyperiod,Romancultureoftendependedheavilyontheintroductionandimitationofothercultures,particularly,Greekculture.ThusRomanscreatedtheirownpowerfulculture,layingthefoundationforsubsequentWesterncultureinmanyfields.AccordingtoGreekcultureandothers’culture;theycreatedtheirowngodsandmyth,Inpoetry,ancientRomemadebrilliantachievements,LivywasresponsibleforthegreatHistoryofRomein142volumes.Hisworkhasalwaysbeencitedbylaterstatesmen,writersorscholars,ThearchitectureofAncientRomeadoptedtheGreekstyleforitsownpurposes,buttheRomansalsodevelopedanewkind.2.InwhatsensedoyouthinkRomancultureoweditsaccomplishmentstothebenefitsobtainedfromGreekcultureGiveexamples.RomanculturelearnedandinheritedalotfromGreekculture.,religion,philosophyandliterature.Inreligion,RomehaditsownsystemofbeliefswhichhadbeensimpleandcouldhardlycomparewiththepluralityofGreekreligion.ThesameistrueofRomanphilosophywherewecouldfindexamples,Inliterature,RomanmenoflettersalsoborrowedaAllinall,thetwoculturesarecloselylinkedgreatdealfromGreekculture.Chapter31.HowwastheJewishcivilizationdevelopedafteratortuoushistoryofsplitandunificationThemajorexplanationforthedevelopmentoftheJewishcivilizationisitsstrongcohesivenessandvitality,theyputintoeffecttheirJudaistbeliefsandwhattheyreadofJudaistscriptures.FromthenonJewshavebeguntobecomeawareofthenecessicitytoliberatethemselvesfromtherestrictivelawsandacquirenewknowledgeandmodernideasfromtheEuropeans,MostofJewsthusreceivedagoodeducation,fullyarmedwithculturalandscientificknowledgeanddidwellintheirownpositiontheycouldquicklyturnitintoawelldevelopednationinspiteofitssmallsizeandsmallpopulation.2．SaysomethingaboutJudaismandTheOldTestament.TheOldTestamentistheJudaistBible.ItwaswritteninHebrew,includingthethreeparts：Pentateuch,ProphetsandHagiographaandApocrypha.AfterTheOldTestamentwastranslatedintoGreekbyJewishscholars，manywesternersbegantounderstandJudaismbyreadingthisbook.Itisnotonlyofreligiousvaluebutalsoofliteratryvalue.Chapter41.WhatarethemaincomponentsofChristianityandwhycoulditbeacceptedastheofficialreligionfirstbytheRomanEmpireandthenbythefollowingkingdomsorempiresinEurope(1)ThemaincomponentsofChristianityare：1)TheBibleastheonlyChristianscripture;MajorChristiandoctrinesaboutTrinityandRedemption;3)OtherdoctrinesoreventsofChristianity:(2)ChristianityisacceptedandpopularinEuropebecauseofthesefactors:1).Forthecommonpeopleintheempire,theyneededsomethingtofilluptheirspiritualvacuum.Christianitycouldplaysucharole.2).Itcouldworktogetherwithanysecularregimestooffernecessaryassistance.3).ThenameandinfluenceofChristiaitywouldbeasymbolofsacrednessandjustification,4)Christianityisalsoakindofculture,itcouldbetoleratedbecausetheirlifeandpropertycouldthusbesecuredinthechangedcircumstances.2.WhatarethebasicdifferencesbetweenChristianityandJudaismInspiteofthefactthatthetworeligionsderivedfromJewishculture,therearesomebasicdifferencesbetweenthem.FirstisthedifferentimageofGod.SecondisdifferentviewofGod.JehovahisviewedHeislikefireorwind.Godiskinderandmorehelpful,Thirdisthedifferentpositioneachreligionislocatedinandhencewouldmakedifferentcontribution.FourthisJehovahwasimportanttoJewsonlyintheoryandaffecttheminspiritoccasionallywhileChristianitymovedintosecularlifefortheWesternerasPopeandchurchesbecameverypowerful.Chapter61.TellsimplythebackgroundanddevelopmentoftheRenaissance.ItwasnoaccidentthatitfirstoccurredinFlorenceandItalywheretheearlysignsofcapitalismhadappearedatthesametimeassocialchaos,politicaldisputesandmilitaryclashes,moreandmorepeoplebegantosuspectthejustificationforthosewhoheldthepower,Paintingandsculpturewerethefirstareatoreflectthechangeofsubjectsandtastes.(2)WhatarethemajorfeaturesandachievementsoftheRenaissanceGiveexamples.TheRenaissanceischaracterisedbyseekingideologicalemancipation,intellectualfreedomandpoliticalawareness,basedonculturalproductionandreligiousreformation.Allthesewereundertakenorunfoldedgraduallybutwidely,extendingitsinfluencestoeverycornerofEurope,withmoreandmorepeoplegettinginvolved.Theachievementswereseenprincipallyinsixareas,namely,painting,sculpture,poetry,fiction,dramaandreligiousreformationaswellasthechangeintheculturalandintellectualclimate.Instancescouldbelocatedintheseareas,suchasthehugechangeofsubjectsandstylesinpainting.ThemedievalpaintingusedtocentreondepictingJesusChristandotherChristiansubjects,notonlyeffectingsimilarandthelimitedsubjectmatter,butalsodepictingstylisticallyfacialexpressionsandmanners.ThegreatartistsintheRenaissancestartedtofocusontheimageswithindividualistictemperament,highlightinghumanityinsteadofdivinity,thusbreakingawayfromthemedievalfrozenmodelsandlinkingclassicalismwithhumannatureasthecentreoftheirrepresentationalwork.