Enemies of Civilization: Attitudes toward Foreigners in Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and ChinaState University of New York Press, 2012 M02 1 - 229 pages Enemies of Civilization is a work of comparative history and cultural consciousness that discusses how "others" were perceived in three ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China. Each civilization was the dominant culture in its part of the world, and each developed a mind-set that regarded itself as culturally superior to its neighbors. Mu-chou Poo compares these societies' attitudes toward other cultures and finds differences and similarities that reveal the self-perceptions of each society. Notably, this work shows that in contrast to modern racism based on biophysical features, such prejudice did not exist in these ancient societies. It was culture rather than biophysical nature that was the most important criterion for distinguishing us from them. By examining how societies conceive their prejudices, this book breaks new ground in the study of ancient history and opens new ways to look at human society, both ancient and modern. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Ethnic Theories and Ancient History | 7 |
Choice of Subjects | 9 |
About The Comparative Study of History | 12 |
Structure Scope and Sources | 18 |
In Search of Cultural Identity | 23 |
Language | 29 |
Looking for Foreigners | 34 |
From Apprehension to Appreciation | 93 |
Foreigners Within | 101 |
Foreign Goods and Languages | 114 |
The Transformation of the Barbarians | 121 |
Between Ideology and Reality | 142 |
Conclusion | 145 |
The Illusive Others | 146 |
Official Ideology and Private Sentiments | 151 |
Representations | 37 |
Designations of Self and Others | 38 |
Textual and Graphic Evidence | 48 |
Relations and Attitudes | 68 |
Demons | 80 |
Friends and Allies | 84 |
The Problem of Great Civilizations | 154 |
Notes | 161 |
187 | |
209 | |
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Enemies of Civilization: Attitudes toward Foreigners in Ancient Mesopotamia ... Mu-chou Poo No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
Akkadian Amorites ancient civilizations Arameans Asiatics Assyrian attitudes toward foreigners Babylonian barbarian tribes barbarians bronze Central Plain century BCE chapter China Chinese culture city-states comparative study concept conflicts Confucian cultural assimilation cultural consciousness cultural identity cultural sphere depicted discussion Dynasty early Egypt Egyptian enemies Enlil ethnic evidence example existence fact foreign countries foreign culture foreign lands foreign tribes foreigners and foreign geographical Greek Gutians Han Dynasty hostile human I. J. Gelb ideology indicates Kassite king Kingdom period language Legge Libyan Lichtheim lifestyle Loprieno Mesopotamian modern moreover mountain Narmer palette Nine Bows nomadic Nubians official Old Kingdom oracle bone palette political prejudice prisoners Ramesses III reality referred relationship representations of foreigners represented Rong ruler scenes scholars Semitic Shang shows slaves social society stela story Sumerian Syria term tion tradition Warring States period words Xianyun Xiongnu Youyu Zhongguo Zhouli Zuozhuan