Why do civilizations have belief systems?

Tommy Freiburger 1/23/2014 History 2

A belief system is essential to a civilization because it creates moral values for people to abide by and these moral values steer them from wrong to right. A civilization without a belief system to create a set of moral values would be in utmost chaos. For example, many historians believe that the downfall of the Western Roman Empire was due to a lack of moral values. According to one historical reference, There were 32,000 prostitutes in Rome, and as gladiators fought, vicious cries and curses were heard from the audience. Should the ground become too soaked with blood, it was covered with a fresh layer of sand and the performance went on (Frey 8). These quotes show that Rome had a major lack of morals and values. A belief system to create a set of moral values is essential to any civilization, as proved by the Romans. Tomland shall avoid the fate of the Western Roman Empire by practicing a religion. In order to better understand the importance of belief systems within a civilization and how they can influence the actions and decisions of a people, please consider the following moral dilemma: A Callous Passerby Roger Smith, a skillful swimmer, is out for a leisurely stroll. During the course of his walk he passes by a deserted pier from which a teenage boy who apparently cannot swim has fallen into the water. The boy is screaming desperately for help. Smith recognizes that there is absolutely no danger to himself if he jumps in to save the boy; he could easily succeed if he tried. Nevertheless, he chooses to ignore the boy's cries. "Why should I inconvenience myself for this kid," Smith says to himself, and passes on.

Tommy Freiburger 1/23/2014 History 2 If Rodger Smith were a devout Buddhist, he would have a moral obligation to save the drowning kid. This is due to the Eightfold Path, a code of ethics that all Buddhist follow. The eight laws found in the Eightfold Path are based off the Four Noble Truths, four ideas related to suffering that all Buddhists believe to be true. The Eightfold Path states, promote good actions and prevent evil actions (Frey 159). Letting someone drown when you could easily save him is the equivalent to killing someone, something that would be considered an evil action. Therefore, if Roger Smith were a Buddhist, he would save the boy. While Rodger Smith would have a moral obligation to save the drowning boy if he were a Buddhist because of the Eightfold Path, he would have to do the same if were a Hindu, but for a different reason. This reason is Karma. Karma is the belief that souls are punished or rewarded based on the good or evil they had done (Frey 149). The belief of Karma comes from Dharma, the belief that you must fulfill your duties and obligations (Frey 148). Letting someone drown when you could easily save him is just like killing someone, which is evil. If Rodger Smith did not save the boy, his soul would be punished for his bad Karma, and he would be reincarnated as a lesser being. Roger Smith would save the drowning boy if he were Hindu.

Much like if he were a Buddhist or Hindu, Roger Smith would have a moral obligation to save the drowning boy if he were Confucian as well. Confucius states, Do not do to others what you would not want done to you (Frey 208). Roger Smith indicates that he is a man of high self-esteem and values his well being very highly when he states, why should I inconvenience myself for this kid. From this, one can infer that if Roger Smith were in the place of the boy, he would want someone to save him from drowning. This means that, if Roger Smith were Confucian, he would save the boy due to Confuciuss famous saying.

Tommy Freiburger 1/23/2014 History 2 In conclusion, belief systems are essential to any civilization, whether that belief system is Buddhism, Hinduism, or Confucianism. The civilization of Tomland will be known for valuing happiness and independence; Tomland will have a belief system similar to Buddhism. In her book, Wendy Frey states that the goal of Buddhism is enlightenment (Frey 159). The leaders of Tomland have a interpreted this to mean happiness. A belief system plays an important role in any great civilization, and it will do so in Tomland.