Transcript
Page 1: Miyazaki - The Chinese Civil Service Exam System

Kezia NyarkoMr. SaldivarWHAP A4Nov. 3, 2013

Miyazaki - The Chinese Civil Service Exam System

1. What did young boys have to learn?

The young boys had to learn “the Four Books, the Five Classics, and other Confucian works.”

Essentially, they had to know how to “compose poems and write essays.” Similar to my own

education, it was based merely on memorization, to do as you see.

2. In what ways was their education different from your own?

Different to my own education, it was much more disciplined and strict, as the students were

punished for not paying attention. It also placed more pressure on the value of education and the

success that come from it.

3. What effects did the examination system have on the goals and values of young people?

The effects on the examination system restricted the young people from enjoying their lives as

children as education began “before birth.” The values of the importance of the future and how

education led to it was more pressed and led to children choosing to memorize instead of

understand to get to the top.

4. In what sense did this system make China more “democratic” than the political systems of

Western Europe or the muslim world?

This system made China more “democratic” than others in the sense that it was the first system

developed on the idea of equality and achieving without the influence of money instead based on

sheer talent. Essentially, China was the first to put in progress this idea of “hey, I don’t have to

always choose my son or someone under the influence of wealth. I can pick someone who’s

smart and has the morals I need from my people.”

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5. In what sense was it less so?

In the sense that the idea was brilliant but didn’t really work because those who had money, had

the power of giving their children a little more edge than others and those in power always got

into conflict. So nothing really got done and it was back to where it was before, essentially.

6. Did it become more or less democratic over the course of Chinese history?

Yes, it became more democratic over the course of Chinese history because when it ran into

problems, it fixed it. Which is essentially the meaning of democracy, the people rule and every

time they ran into an issue with the people, they fixed it to please the people.

7. How did the purpose change from the Tang to the Sung dynasty?

The purpose for the Tang was to get rid of aristocratic rule and allow “equality” while with the

Sung, was to get rid of the conflict between the chin-shih and the non-chin-shih.

8-9. How did it affect Chinese society, families, class differences, boys and girls? What were the

economic effects of the system?

First of all, if you think about modern day China, you realize that the affect this system changed

the value of women in China, generally. Even up to date, women in China are to hold a

submissive position as the wife and when born into the world, their abilities and goals are

minimized due to the value of men in Chinese society. This also affected the whole rich people

vs poor people class difference because the rich always had an edge over the poor. It was easier

to stay where you are economically than it was to move up.

10. How did it change Chinese cultural values, ideas, and education?

The system moved China to become what is more known for now; strict and fully focused on

education. This system made China more focused on Education rather on arts and such. Instead it

was focused on the idea of getting to the highest position and valuing the future more than the

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past. “If you study while you’re young, you will get ahead.”

11. What was the most important difference between Chinese and Western European

civilizations?

Western European civilizations valued arts as more of the high class functions whilst the Chinese

viewed it in another way. The most important however was the fact that the Chinese used

Education as a function of deciding the next leader instead of other factors.

12. Between Chinese and Muslim Civilizations?

Chinese civilizations separated religion from their ways of control instead focused solely on who

had the highest understanding on education whilst the Muslim civilizations combined religious

factors with leading factors.