Mata, Agustin S.

BSED 1G- Social Studies

Lesson 1 Output

1. Aside from those mentioned in the lesson, what other civilizations rose
from Mesopotamia and what were their contributions to civilization? List at
least five civilizations and three contributions for each.
a. Akkadians (2234-2154 B.C)
- Ziggurats
- Created the first united empire in ancient Mesopotamia
- Hereditary-monarchy system of government
b. Hurrians
- Ceramic wares
- Metallurgy, “tabira”
- Horse training, trainers called “kikkuli”
c. Kassites
- Kuddurrus – record of the land that was granted by the king to his
vassals
- Developed a distinctive style in architecture and sculpture
- Developed poetry and scientific literature (ex. Medical diagnoses,
recipes)
d. Assyrians (1365 B.C)
- Developed iron weapons and protective items for warfare
- First army to have a separate engineering unit
- First to build chariots
e. Persian empire (539 B.C)
- During the reign of King Darius the Great, standard currency and
weights and measurement was introduced
- Establishment of Aramaic as its official language
- building and development of roads

2. The lesson mentioned Confucius and Confucianism, name at least five

notable philosophers of Asia and briefly discuss their philosophy.
a. Lao Tzu (Taoism)
- Taoism is both philosophical and religious belief that was founded
by Lao Tzu. His philosophy emphasizes that all human beings
must “go with the flow” or be in harmony with the Tao (or Dao)
which is the universe, together with the Ch’i, or qi (energy) that
serves as our guide here in the universe. He has also introduced
the concept of yin and yang, which promotes balancing forces in
the universe.
b. Buddha (Buddhism)
- Also know as Siddhartha Gauthama, “the Buddha” founded
Buddhism 2,500 years ago in India. The main focus of this belief
was for a human to experience “enlightenment” and in order to
 encounter nirvana. A person who has passed this process and
progressed will be later called as an “enlightened individual”,
where Buddha himself is one. For you to reach the point of
enlightenment, a person must practice morality in his living,
should have regular personal meditation and continual seeking for
wisdom in order to be “awakened” in the truth of the world.
c. Mahatma Gandhi
- The Gandhian philosophy which emphasis can be observed on
two principles that was suggested by Gandhi was the
“satyagrahasa” and “ahimsa”. Satyagrahasa is the principle by
which someone must practice holding firm to the truth. The truth
he talks about was the absolute truth, where everyone must
believe in. And in support of the “satya”, one must conform to the
principle of non-violence or ahimsa so that one can live a better
life. This philosophy has a great influence especially with
Gandhi’s style of revolution, suggested pacifism over violent
reaction to the colonial British rule in India.
d. Sun Tzu
- Sun Tzu’s philosophy focuses on the principles of war which is
practical during his contemporary period, compared to the other
eastern philosophers pointing out at things which concern
spirituality. His main idea in the philosophy of war is that you can
win a battle even before engaging in a real battle. Taking an
advantage to your opponents is important to consider. Thus,
strategies must be planned effectively in order to be victorious in
a warfare even if no arrows are being fired and no swords were
drawn from the sheath. He has stated that “...supreme excellence
[in war] consist in breaking the enemy’s resistance without
fighting”
e. Al-Ghazali
- Al-Ghazali’s core idea in philosophy can be found in his writing
“The Alchemy of happiness” which highlights how people can
attain supreme happiness. Humans, as a rational being
experience happiness on a daily basis, but the supreme
happiness are thought to hard to achieve and seems to be
unreachable. However, he suggested that in pursuit of this higher
level of happiness, having union with God is important. Not all the
people experience this because selfish desires became barriers
between men and God to commune. Possessing the quality of
being moral also paves the way so that one can be totally happy
as the prophets of Islam did.

3. Religions were briefly mentioned in the lesson, but was not thoroughly
discussed. Name at least five religions that were established in Asia and
list five moral precepts and/or values that their followers strictly adhere.
a. Judaism
 - Living in righteousness
- Civic loyalty
- Justice, truth, and peace
- Loving-kindness and compassion
- Health and self-respect
b. Christianity
- Loving God
- Loving the neighbour
- Forgiveness to others who have wronged you
- Loving your enemies
- Don’t judge others
c. Islam
- Repeated expression of the basic creed
- Daily prayer
- Month of daytime fasting
- Almsgiving
- Pilgrimage to Mecca.
d. Hinduism
- Truth & non-violence
- Love & compassion
- Reverence to others
- Tolerance, kindness & forgiveness
- Purity of life
e. Shintoism
- Purity of life
- Makoto or being sincere
- Harmony with nature
- Matsuri or festivals
- Living in the present

4. Filipinos are said to be a melting pot of different cultures. List at least five cultural
features of Filipinos that were/are from other Asian origins. Indicate from which
nation each culture originated. You cannot cite an Asian nation more than once.
a. Culinary- Due to the accessibility of trade, Chinese people imparted to us
Filipinos a distinct culinary culture that even today we continue to cultivate.
Chinese influences include, sautéed dishes, rice cakes and noodle dishes
(ex. Pancit).
b. Fashion and beauty- Under the modern context, Filipinos has a culture
where everyone wanted to have whiter and clearer skin, being trendy and
stylish in fashion due to the emergence of the k-pop culture. It is the direct
impact of the hallyu or Korean wave in the Philippines.
c. Attitude- The “bahala na” habit of Filipinos are said to originate from India.
The word “bathala” which refers to the god which pre-colonial Philippines
worship, came from the Sanskrit word and has similarity to the Hindu god
“Bhattara Guru” which is the supreme deity. This concept is relatable to
the Hindu fatalism.
d. Traits- Filipinos’ sense of gratitude at all times began to conceptualize
when Arabs start to trade here in the Philippines and influenced their
language to us. The word “salamat” are said to be originated to Semitic
languages, including countries in the Middle East. The culture of being
thankful of Filipinos does not just served as a form of greeting, but a
cultural trait that even today is observable.
e. Skin colour and physical feature- Brown skinned, having black hairs and
being little in stature are some only of the physical-cultural feature of
Filipinos. This is due to the heredity we got from Malay ancestors in the
Pre-Hispanic Philippines. Malay nations include countries such as:
Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, and Indonesia, and the Philippines sharing
some of its cultural qualities.
External sources:

1. https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-middle-east/mesopotamia
2. https://ancientcivilizationsworld.com/akkadians/
3. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/assyrian-empire/
4. https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-middle-east/persian-empire
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurrians
6. https://www.britannica.com/place/Mesopotamia-historical-region-Asia/Mesopotamia-
to-the-end-of-the-Achaemenian-period
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kassites
8. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/taoism/
9. https://www.history.com/topics/religion/buddhism
10. https://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/murphy.htm
11. https://www.essentiallifeskills.net/SunTzu-philosophy.html
12. https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/al-ghazali/
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_ethics
14. https://www.history.com/topics/religion/history-of-christianity#section_3
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morality_in_Islam
16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism
17. https://www.patternz.jp/shinto-beliefs-5-core-values/#focus_on_now
18. http://purduefilipino.com/filipino-history
19. https://www.grantthornton.com.ph/insights/articles-and-updates1/line-of-sight/how-
have-korean-dramas-influenced-philippine-industry/#:~:text=Through%20Korean
%20dramas%2C%20Korean%20fashion,shopping%20malls%20around%20the
%20country.
20. https://www.google.com/amp/s/travelandculture.expertscolumn.com/amp/indian-
influence-philippines
21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salamat#%3A%7E%3Atext
%3DSalamat_is_the_word_for%2C
%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%AA_from_the_singular_sal
%C4%81mah_.?wprov=sfla1
22. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/trans-trans-regional-and-national-studies-
of-southeast-asia/article/abs/locating-the-filipino-as-malay-a-reassertion-of-historical-
identity-from-the-regional-periphery/410D0715008026FDB2815FC438785549