Pericles:AManWhoseDecisionsStillAffectUsToday

By:JulesGirdner

Lookingback,TokugawaIeyasuandPericlescausedgreatchange,duetotheir
preferencesingovernmentandphilosophy.Ieyasu,thefirstshogunoftheTokugawa
shogunate,ranhiscountrythroughastrictrelationshipbetweenhimselfandhisdaimyos,who
actedlikefeudallords.Meanwhile,PericlesdevelopedtheAtheniandemocracyofancient
Greece,inwhichsocialclassdidntdefineacitizensplaceingovernment,aseveryone
participated.Bothstylesofleadershiphadadvantagesanddisadvantages,oftenduetothe
philosophicalbeliefsbehindeachregime.Duringhisreign,TokugawaIeyasuheardfrom
manyphilosopherstheonethingincommonwithalloftheirideaswasNeoConfucianism.
TruejusticeandtheimportanceofknowledgeguidedPericlesthroughlife,especiallyunder
theinfluenceofProtagoras,ZenoofElea,andAnaxagoras.Everythingconsidered,Pericles
ideasongovernmentandphilosophyshapedtheancientworldandarestillpresenttoday.
WhenTokugawaIeyasucametopower,heneededtounifyallpartsofJapaninorder
topreventanotherWarringStateslikeperiod.Todothis,Ieyasudevelopedthebakuhan
system,afeudalsystemwiththeshogunleading,underhimthedaimyos,andatthebottom
thesamurairetainers(TokugawaPoliticalSystem).Threedifferenttypesofdaimyosexisted
duringtheEdoperiod:
fudai
,orhereditarydaimyos,thatwerevassalsofIeyasusincebefore
thebattleofSekigahara
tozama
,alsoknownasoutsidedaimyos,whomayhavebeenallies
orevenenemiesatSekigahara
shimpan
,thesmallestgroupofdaimyos,weredirectlyrelated
totheTokugawafamilyandcalledcollateraldaimyos(TokugawaIeyasuFacts).Ieyasu
wantedtoguaranteehisdaimyosloyaltytohim,especiallyfollowingthedownfallsofhis
predecessors,soheplacedmanylawsandrestrictions.Hismainapproachwasrotating
familyhostagesthroughouttheyear,makingitsothatatleastonememberofadaimyos
familywasalwaysinthecapital,Edo(TokugawaPoliticalSystem).Inturn,adaimyohadto
spendmoneyonhishomedomainandhisspaceinEdo,alongwiththetransportation
betweenboth,takingabout25%moremoneyawaythatotherwisemayhavebeenused
againstthegovernment(TokugawaPoliticalSystem).Allofthesefactorscontributedtoa
veryrichgovernment,allowingforthenationalizationofKyoto,Osaka,andNagasaki.
Ontheotherhand,PericleshadplayedanactivepartinthegovernmentofAthensfor
awhilebeforehedevelopedtheconceptofAtheniandemocracy.Afterpresentinghisideas
tofellowgovernmentofficials,inwhichmajoritywereinfavorofthereform,Periclesbecame
theleaderofAthenscouncil,givinghimthepowertofreelyshareandenforcehisbeliefs.
ThisnewAtheniandemocracywasnotclassrestrictive,althoughitwasnecessarytobea
citizen,andgavepeoplefreedomtodowhattheychoose,aslongastheyfollowedthelaws
(Fleck).Pericleswaswillingtoparticipateinforeignaffairs,infacthehadanextremelyliberal
viewonthematter,trustingthenativespiritofhiscitizenstomakegood,smartdecisions
(Fleck).OneofthemajorpointsPericlesmadewashowAthenswasjustasgoodasrival
SpartawithoutforcingtraininguponchildrenbecauseAthensmenliveexactlyasweplease.
However,theoverallmostimportantpartofAtheniandemocracywasthatallcitizenswere

requiredtopulltheirownweightingovernmentandparticipateinpublicaffairs,nomattertheir
privatematters(
PurdueEDU
).

Comparingbothmensachievementsingovernment,itsclearthatPericlesdemocratic
conceptsarestillaroundandthrivingtoday,whereasIeyasusfeudalisticidealsfelloutwith
theendoftheMiddleAges.Although,bothPericlesandIeyasuwereopposedtowomen
participatingingovernment,somethingnowadaysisequalforeveryone,nomatterwhich
gender.FromPericlesperspective,thenonexistentroleofwomenwasbaseduponthefact
thattheycouldntbegrantedcitizenship,adecisionmadeyearsbeforehim,andhis
democracywasrunbythecitizensofAthens.Meanwhile,TokugawaIeyasutreatedwomen
likechildren,unnecessarybeings,orcollateralinarelationshipwithadaimyo,onlycaringas
longastheywerehelpfulinbusinessdealstoincreasewealthandfame.Withthisexample,it
showsthattheapproachofPericleswasnevertopurposefullyangeragroup,butIeyasu
purposefullyexertedunnecessarypowerduetoexcessivegreed.
Philosophically,theTokugawashogunatewasdedicatedtoNeoConfucianism,tothe
pointinwhichIeyasucutofftheentranceofanyforeignersintohisempire,especiallythose
fromEuropededicatedtoChristianity(NeoConfucianism).Fourmainideasinthisreligion
forEdoperiodJapanwerefundamentalrationalism,essentialhumanism,historicism,and
ethnocentrismethnocentrismwastheaspectthatdevotedpeopletotheTokugawaand
instilledhissubjectsfearofforeigners(NeoConfucianism).DevelopedduringtheSing
Dynasty,theSchoolofPrincipleandtheSchoolofHeart/MindtaughtdifferentaspectsofNeo
Confucianism.Nevertheless,intheend,ZhuXisSchoolofPrincipleovertookallaspects
becausetheSchoolofHeart/MindwassaidtoleadtothedownfallofJapan(Tanner).
TokugawaIeyasusstrictNeoConfucianiststateofmindworkedverywellinconjunctionwith
hisgovernmentstyle,astheconceptsofrationalismandhumanismcouldjustifyhisoften
harshactionsthroughalogicalperspective.Afewofthemanyphilosophersthatguided
IeyasuinthecreationofTokugawanNeoConfucianismareFujiwaraSeika,HayashiRazan,
andthemembersofthelaterHayashifamily(Hooker).Eachphilosopherhadadifferent
relationshipwithIeyasu,somefriends,othersmembersofthecourt,whichhelpedprovidehim
withuniqueperspectivesduetotheirbackgroundandwillingnesstoshareideas.
Periclesphilosophicalidealswerelessdependentononeviewpoint,andrelatedmore
tothepursuitofafairandequalworldthroughknowledgeandjusticeforeachcitizen.Inthis
respect,hewasadamantthateverypersonhaveanequalsay,asheexpressed,duringhis
famousFuneralOration,whenhesaid,Ourconstitutioniscalledademocracybecause
powerisinthehandsofnotaminoritybutofthewholepeople(PericlesFuneralOration).
NotonlywasPericlesprovinghismethodsofleadership,hewasconstantlyremindingthe
peopleoftheirworth,andacomplimentalwaysimprovesapersonsviewofanother.Thisis
whythearts,philosophy,andliteraturethrivedunderPericleseventhoughforeignerswerent
allowedtoparticipateingovernment,heletthemcontributeasequals.Protagoras,Zenoof
Elea,andAnaxagoraswerethethreemainphilosophersthatPericleslistenedto,andeach
contributeduniqueconcepts,whichaltogetherformedanunderstandingoftheworldfor
Periclesandhispeople(Fleck).
Thephilosophiesofbothmenhadpositivesandnegatives,yetPericlespositives
outweighhisnegativesmosttimes.UnlikeIeyasu,Pericleswasinterestedininformingthe

peopleofhisbeliefsandgivingthemideastothinkupon,whichhelpedthemformtheirown
opinions.Thiswasimportantandshowedhowmuchhevaluedhiscitizensandtheopinions
ofothers,incontrasttoTokugawaIeyasusapproachtospreadingphilosophy.Heforcedhis
personalfaithuponhissubjects,tothepointinwhichtheyfearedgoingagainstNeo
Confucianismduetothepossibilityofgettingintotroublewiththegovernment.Eventhough
Periclesdidnothaveonephilosophytogooffof,alltheideashelistenedtocametogether
throughhissharingofknowledge,especiallythroughhisspeechesliketheFuneralOration.
Allofthisissimilartohowphilosophyisviewedintheworldtodaymostpeopledontfollow
onespecificphilosophy,buttheaspectstheylikeofmultiplephilosophiescombinedtoforma
personspecificthoughtprocess.WhileIeyasudidnotlistentoothersunlesstheyhadthe
exactsameviewsashim,Pericleslivedanopenmindedpoliticallife,helpedthroughhis
philosophyofpursuingknowledgeandjustice.
Allinall,Pericleswasfarmoreinterestedinthegreatergoodofhispeople,insteadof
makingdecisionsbaseduponselfishnesslikeTokugawaIeyasu.Hisdemocraticgovernment
representedthevalueplaceduponeachcitizen,asneithersocialstatusnorwealthwas
importantinpublicaffairs.Ieyasuchosehisofficials,evengivinghisfamilyaplacewithout
anypoliticaltraining.TokugawanNeoConfucianisminfixedfearandstrictwaysoflifeonto
theJapanesepeople,forcingthemtofollowIeyasusrules.Meanwhile,Periclesgavehis
subjectsthechoicetodowhatevertheysochoose.PericlesactionsinancientGreecestill
haveaneffecttodayandarebaseduponvaluesfromthegoodnessinaperson.


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