HIS 1101 — Origins: The Analogical, Porous World (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes on origins, worldviews, ancient Near Eastern/Indian/Chinese civilizations, and related philosophical ideas.

Primary source

An original document or artifact created at the time under study; provides firsthand evidence about a topic.

Secondary source

A work that analyzes, interprets, or comments on primary sources rather than presenting new original evidence.

Weltanschauung

German for worldview; a framework through which people view and interpret reality; truth is shaped by this worldview.

cogito ergo sum

Latin for "I think, therefore I am"; Descartes’ foundational statement for modern epistemology.

Porous World/Self (Ancient)**

A view of the world where boundaries between self and external reality (gods, nature, others) are permeable and interconnected.

Buffered World/Self (Modern)**

Charles Taylor’s idea that modern individuals are shielded by social and institutional boundaries from direct engagement with the world.

Analogical World (Aristotle)

A view of knowledge and explanation based on analogy—understanding new phenomena through likeness to known things.

History (course definition)

Various definitions discussed in class, focusing on how past events are interpreted, contextualized, and connected to present issues.

Two major uses of history in study

Descriptive (what happened) and interpretive (why it happened and its significance) perspectives.

Zhang Weiwei’s civilizational state

A concept in which a civilization’s long-term cultural, institutional, and historical continuity shapes its political order and development.

Civilizational state

A state organized around a core civilizational identity, values, and long-range cultural-historical trajectory.

Epic of Gilgamesh

Ancient Mesopotamian epic addressing human mortality, friendship, heroism, and the quest for immortality.

Enuma Elish

Babylonian creation epic in which humanity is created to serve the gods and relieve them of labor; relates to Babylonian social order.

Marduk

Chief Babylonian god; central figure in Enuma Elish; symbol of cosmic order and kingship.

Enlil

Mesopotamian god of wind and leader of the gods; a key deity shaping Mesopotamian worldview.

Tiamat

Primeval chaos sea goddess in Enuma Elish; her battle with Marduk leads to creation and order.

Ma’at

Egyptian concept of cosmic order, truth, and justice; both a goddess and a principle guiding governance.

Pharaoh

Egyptian king; seen as divine or semi-divine ruler who upholds Ma’at and cosmic order.

astrology

Practice of interpreting celestial bodies’ positions to infer human affairs and natural events.

hierarchy

System of ranked social groups or roles; a foundational structure in many ancient societies.

Kant

Immanuel Kant; philosopher who framed worldview concepts and related ideas in relation to judgment and perception.

Weltanschauung (revisited)

A worldview that shapes how truth and reality are understood within a culture or era.

Primitive power

Idea in early Chinese thought that power originates in roots of nature or ancestors before formal institutions.

West Zhou period (golden age)

Early Zhou dynasty era (c. 1122–771 BCE) often celebrated as a political and cultural high point in ancient China.

Warring States period

Era (c. 481–221 BCE) of political fragmentation in China that spurred major philosophical schools (Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism).

Han Fei Tzu / Han Feizi

Legalist Chinese philosopher whose ideas emphasize strict law and centralized authority.

buffered (Han Fei Tzu context)

Characterization of political philosophy where strong laws and institutions shield society from individual weaknesses.

core foundations for a civilization (Han Fei Tzu)

Emphasis on law, order, centralized governance, and bureaucratic control as basis for civilization.

Shizu

Term meaning founding ancestor or progenitor in Chinese historical/loyalist contexts.

Xiao

Filial piety; central Confucian virtue emphasizing respect and care for parents and ancestors.

Li

Ritual propriety; codes of proper conduct and ceremony shaping social harmony.

Wu

Martial virtue or military power; aspect of governance and control in Chinese thought.

wangdao

The kingly/mandated way of rulership; benevolent and rightful governance.

Tian

Heaven; the moral cosmos in Chinese thought, often linked to legitimacy and Mandate of Heaven.

Dao

The Way; fundamental path or principle in Chinese philosophy (Confucianism and Daoism).

The Celestial Kingdom

Conceptual label for China as Heaven’s country or order under Heaven.

The Central Kingdom

Zhongguo; the notion of China as the cultural and political center of the world.

Mandate of Heaven

Dynastic legitimacy idea: Heaven grants rulers the right to rule only if they govern justly; loss of mandate implies dynastic change.

Indus Civilization disappearance (two theses)

1) Aryan invasion/migration theory; 2) environmental/climate changes leading to decline and replacement by a Hindu civilization.

Friedrich Max Müller

19th-century philologist who studied Sanskrit and Indian texts; associated with early Aryan migration theories.

Svastika

Ancient auspicious symbol in Indian traditions; later misappropriated in modern history.

Aryan

Indo-European-speaking peoples; in this context often discussed as a migratory or transformative group in early India.

Dravidian

Language family native to southern India, contrasted with Aryan/Sanskritic traditions in debates about early India.

Dasa

Term in Rig Veda often referring to enemies or non-Aryan groups; used in early Indo-Aryan social descriptions.

Brahmins

Priestly varna in the Indian caste system; traditionally responsible for learning and ritual.

Kshatriyas

Warrior/ruler varna in the Indian caste system; leaders and protectors of society.

Vaisyas

Commoner/merchant/agricultural varna in the Indian caste system.

Sudras

Laboring class in the Indian caste system; later social groups with subordinate roles.

Dalits

Outcastes or “untouchables” outside the four varnas; historically marginalized groups.

Varna

Caste categories (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra) forming a broad social order.

Jati

Sanskrit for sub-caste or clan-level social grouping within the Varna framework; occupationally defined in practice.

Dharma (India)

Cosmic law or duty guiding individual conduct and social order within the Varna/Jati system.

Danda

Sanskrit for punishment or coercive authority used to enforce social norms and order.

Primitive power (China)

Concept addressing the origins of political power in early Chinese thought.