Unit of inquiry: Humans use systems of governance to sustain civilizations and their cultures
Long time
ago, in the ancient times where empires ruled and dynasties were in china, many
innovations were discovered. These innovations are very important to us. These
innovations were called influences. These influences were significance to our
lives. Without them, our world would not have been the world today. They
created many things which give inspiration to our life today. Influences made by ancient civilizations that
significant to human life are systems for government, court and law.
Ancient Greece has influenced us in many ways. They have influences which were about court systems and crime handling. Usually when anyone committed a murder, the family members of the victim would kill him. That was when they started to create laws later in Ancient Greeks. The creators of Ancient Greek laws were Draco and Solon. Ancient Greeks also created courts. In these courts, they created a system called the judiciary system. This system is when someone was convicted for a crime; there would be a person defending for the suspect of a crime and someone against him or her. We still use these systems today in everyday courts. We still apply these to our courts for we also have a person defending the suspect and someone against him or her. The person defending is called the counselor while the person against is public prosecutor. The person convicted for a crime is called a defendant. The counselor and the public prosecutor had to debate if the defendant was guilty or not. In Ancient Greece, no one was hired to be a counselor or prosecutor but instead volunteered to be one. We have the same systems as they used in a court back in Ancient Greece. The counselor and the defendant could use witnesses to proof as evidence. Back in Ancient Greece, they did not have judges. Instead, they had a jury. Many people participated as a jury. They could decide if the defendant was guilty or not. We still have these systems today but we have a judge leading the discussion.
While court system has been influenced by Ancient Greek, government system is by Ancient Rome. During ancient time, Rome was ruled by one person which means a monarchy. After the Romans gained control from the Etruscans, they became a republic. Under a republic, people had more voice for they could elect and vote. We use this same system in our governments when people are electing for any type of member in governments around the world. Back in ancient Rome, people were not allowed to vote for a new government member; they could only sign up to be one. Some examples of the government members are magistrates, and senates. There were these members called the prefect which acts like judges today. They choose whether someone is guilty or not. We now have judges and they choose who were guilty or not or leads the court room. Senates had the most power in the government, just like our presidents. Ancient Rome, Consuls created laws. They first have to compromise with senates whether if the law could be established or enacted. We still do this today but instead a parliament member creates a law and confirms it with the president. In ancient Rome, the senates also sometimes debate with each other. Sometime in the government, people debate about tax prices or other issues. Senates instead debate with violence by sending armies to attack the other senates. Now, parliament members don’t send armies to each other in debates for they have learnt that war is never the answer so their debates are so peaceful.
While court system has been influenced by Ancient Greek, government system is by Ancient Rome. During ancient time, Rome was ruled by one person which means a monarchy. After the Romans gained control from the Etruscans, they became a republic. Under a republic, people had more voice for they could elect and vote. We use this same system in our governments when people are electing for any type of member in governments around the world. Back in ancient Rome, people were not allowed to vote for a new government member; they could only sign up to be one. Some examples of the government members are magistrates, and senates. There were these members called the prefect which acts like judges today. They choose whether someone is guilty or not. We now have judges and they choose who were guilty or not or leads the court room. Senates had the most power in the government, just like our presidents. Ancient Rome, Consuls created laws. They first have to compromise with senates whether if the law could be established or enacted. We still do this today but instead a parliament member creates a law and confirms it with the president. In ancient Rome, the senates also sometimes debate with each other. Sometime in the government, people debate about tax prices or other issues. Senates instead debate with violence by sending armies to attack the other senates. Now, parliament members don’t send armies to each other in debates for they have learnt that war is never the answer so their debates are so peaceful.
Ancient china influenced us also.
They influenced us in their way of punishment, court and government. Back in
ancient china, anyone who was a convict of a crime had to go kneel in front of
the judge. The judge would sit on a chair and ask questions to the person
convicted for crime. These were called
trials. When the person convicted for a crime does not confess an answer, he or
she would be tortured till they confess. This has a great influence to modern
society on interrogation. People interrogate people who are a convict for a
crime to find answers and more information about the crime scene and to find
out whether he or she is innocent or not. People who are convicted for a crime
have to answer the questions given by the interrogator or else the interrogator
would accuse the person that he caused the crime. Nowadays interrogators were
not allowed to torture the person being interrogated but instead they were
allowed to accuse them. Back then, they would torture the person convicted of a
crime until he confessed the answer. Ancient china also influenced us in their
way of laws. An ancient Chinese philosopher called Confucius created laws which
states that people must respect their rulers and respect their family and their
ancestor. They believe in legalism. They believed that family and ancestors
were the most important. Any people who disrespect or abuse their family
members will have a cruel punishment. We still have those laws today for moms
and dads are not allowed to abuse their children or would be sent to jail. Back
at ancient china, parents were blamed if their children did a crime. In modern
society, they have influenced us on what is wrong and right. People thought torturing
people who broke laws was a great idea but it was not. This inspires us not to
do this in the future, but instead to change it. Now prisons are turned as rehabilitation
centers for criminals to learn and to improve themselves to be a better person
instead of being tortured.
In conclusion, ancient
civilizations have influenced us in their way of being civilized and doing the
right thing. People long time ago was not very civilized back then. You got
people who were allowed to kill anyone and nothing can stop them and people who
lived alone. These innovations of government, courts and laws helped to tell
people what is wrong and what is right. But,
there were many things that ancient civilizations did in their state systems
which were wrong. People are being influenced by them to make things right. We
have learnt from our past on things we did wrong and we get influenced by them
to make them right. My other conclusion is learning from history, about bad and
right thing that people did gave many influence to the way we live our life
today. As quoted by the 1st
President and founding father of Indonesia, Soekarno, “A good nation is a nation which never forgets about their past and
learns from their history”.