Humanities Homework Help

The 2 short answer questions are to be at least 300 words each. 

The 1 Long answer is to be 1,000 – 1,200 words Total. 

Will include everything below. 

Short Answer 1 (Confucianism)

Read this one page attached below called “Mencius” and answer these questions. 

How would Xunzi respond to these claims from Mencius? What might he say instead? Is there anything that they might agree about?

Short Answer 2 (Daoism) 

Read the following lines from the Daodejing. Select a few lines that you think best express the meaning of wu-wei as discussed in class and in our textbook. Be sure to explain what you think these lines mean and why they reflect the concept of wu-wei. 

“When people are born they are gentle and soft.
At death they are hard and stiff.
When plants are alive they are soft and delicate.
When they die, they wither and dry up.
Therefore the hard and stiff are followers of death.
The gentle and soft are the followers of life.
Thus, if you are aggressive and stiff, you won’t win.
When a tree is hard enough, it is cut. Therefore
The hard and big are lesser,
The gentle and soft are greater.

Nothing in the world is softer than water,
Yet nothing is better at overcoming the hard and strong.
This is because nothing can alter it.
That the soft overcomes the hard
And the gentle overcomes the aggressive
Is something that everybody knows
But none can do themselves.
Therefore the sages say:
The one who accepts the dirt of the state
Becomes its master.
The one who accepts its calamity
Becomes king of the world.
Truth seems contradictory.”

Long Answer 1 (Can use the book for The first chapter to relate it to religion and check it off as using it for a source) 

In “normal” semesters, we use this as an opportunity to explore the amazing variety of religious communities that are right here in Charleston. There are countless historical Christian churches, Catholic Churches and Protestant Churches of various denominations. There is a Buddhist meditation center, a Hindu Temple, a Muslim Mosque, and even the first example of a Reformed Jewish Synagogue in the U.S. Unfortunately, this is an entirely ONLINE course. Secondly, we are still living through (the end of ?) a global pandemic, and such site visits could be both disrespectful to these communities, irresponsible, and in many cases simply impossible. To complete this assignment, you will need to VIRTUALLY visit a religious community that is significantly different from your own cultural-religious background. Step 1: Plan your visit? What would be an appropriate service for a visitor to attend? Contact your site in advance to find out if necessary! Step 2: Go on your virtual visit! Take it all in. Pay attention to sights, sounds, words, music, demographics, rituals, texts, objects. Also, pay attention to how you feel as an outsider. Choose ONE PARTICULAR ASPECT or RITUAL and connect it to a BELIEF or HISTORICAL EVENT that you have learned about this tradition in our textbook. Step 3: Write it up. Your paper should adhere to the following specifications and will be graded accordingly. OFFICIAL PROMPT:  You don’t actually have to go on a virtual visit you can just fake right about an experience. 

As a Travel Writer, you have been asked to write a brief essay describing what a visitor might expect at ________X_________ religious congregation. Having visited this congregation, virtually, you should write an essay that  describes the service in close detail and  analyzes the way that its practices reflect the history or belief of the religion. Be sure you also reflect on how you feel as an outsider and what benefit a visitor will gain by attending. COMPLETE: 1) 1000 – 1200 Words, typed, 12 pt. Times New Roman, 1-inch margins 2) Should contain a detailed DESCRIPTION of your visit and what you experienced. (no more than 50% of content) 3) Should ANALYZE a ritual by connecting it to a belief or historical event that you learn from our textbook 4) Should be organized into multiple paragraphs (intro, body paragraph(s), conclusion) 5) Must use AT LEAST the textbook as a source. Cite your source using in-text citations of any style you are comfortable with (MLA, Chicago, APA, etc.) Grading Standards: