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Makenzie Porter

Professor Lark

HIST 134

19 June 2020

Portfolio Reflection

What are something that has had an effect on all societies and has transcended/ grown

and changes over the decades and centuries? The answer is religion/ morals and traditions. Over

the centuries the name and story may have changed over time but its purpose has never changed.

Its purpose is to uplift and bring the people of civilization together. While its main purpose is to

unify a people it is/was also used to show and explain a society’s hierarchy. Examples of this can

be seen throughout history in the Greeks, Imperial India, and the Persian Empire.

The Greeks used religion to uplift their people and also as a way to explain why certain

people were naturally better than others in society. In ancient Greece, “individual may have

made up their own mind on the degree of their religious belief … certain fundamentals must

have been sufficiently widespread in order for Greek government and society to function: the

gods existed, they could influence human affairs, and they welcomed and responded to acts of

piety and worship.”(Cartwright). Whenever something good happened to the society it was

believed to be a blessing from the gods or a blessing from whatever god the given city-state

worshiped. When there was a great leader/ruler they were either believed to be a child of a

known god or they were believed to have become a god after death. In other words, this meant

that all leaders had godly potential because they were chosen by the gods to lead. This gave the

people hope because if something good happened to then they could think of themselves as

blessed and important and everyone would aspire to be that. In imperial India, Buddhism was the
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religion it helped their society because the people focused less on material positions and more on

themselves and their relationship with others. Because of this, there was less fighting and people

got along better. The Persian Empire, “ cooperated with local rulers and interfered as little as

possible in matters that did not directly relate to their rule.”(Persian Empire). Because the

Persians did not force their beliefs on the conquered territories they were able to expand more

than anyone else before then. Also, their people were able to live together in peace. “Every sort

of human group has its own history; so do ideas, institutions, techniques, areas, civilizations, and

humanity at large.”(McNeill). Even though the religion/ morals and traditions may have changes

civilization to civilization its main purpose was the same throughout.

Why is learning about the past of our and other civilizations important? Because “a

concern for the past as a tool for both understanding the present and scoping the

future.”(Hodges). Meaning if we know why certain religions/ moraLs and traditions lasted longer

we can adapt those concepts to help ours. An example of this is our need and desirer for material

things rather than personal connections, everyone is guilty of this in some way or another. We

could learn something from Buddhism in this way, curving our desire for material things will

make use more satisfied and hopefully more appreciative of what we already have.

“Although Buddhism is a distinct religious tradition, many people in the contemporary

West have adopted philosophical and practical aspects of Buddhism and incorporated

them into their religious and social practices; thus there are people who identify

themselves ‘Buddhist Christians,’ ‘Buddhist Jews,’ and ‘Buddhist Atheists.’”.(Buddhism)

Lastly, the study of other nations/civilization’s religions/morals and traditions will help us to not

be so narrow-minded. Studying history allows people to understand perspective, “from different

groups, genders, or classes who may have varying views of the events that have unfolded in the
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past, and it can provide a platform for authentic discussion, compromise, and empathy—traits

that are the basic ingredients for active citizenship in a complex and ever-changing

world.”(Postma). If the things that I have learned were to be applied to us as people I believe we

would become happier and more accepting.

Work Cited

“Buddhism.” Patheos, www.patheos.com/library/buddhism.html. Accessed 18 June 2020.

Cartwright, Mark. “Ancient Greek Religion.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, 16 June 2020,

www.ancient.eu/Greek_Religion.
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Hodges, Blair. “Hodges- Final Essay, On Rhetorical Uses of History to Understand the Present.”

Academia, 7 May 2012,

www.academia.edu/1539830/Hodges-_Final_Essay_On_Rhetorical_Uses_of_History_to

_Understand_the_Present.

McNeill, William. “Why Study History? (1985) | AHA.” American Historical Association,

www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/historical-archi

ves/why-study-history-(1985). Accessed 19 June 2020.

“Persian Empire [Ushistory.Org].” Ancient Civilizations, www.ushistory.org/civ/4e.asp.

Accessed 19 June 2020.

Postma, Michael. “ASCD Express 6.22 - What Can History Teach Us Today?” ASCDEzpress,

www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol6/622-postma.aspx. Accessed 19 June 2020.