Agustin Munoz
AP World History
Period 4
9/14/13
AP World DBQ Essay
By the time the Romans and the late Han are in rule there are a lot of
technological advances happening. In this time Rome had made the arches and the
domes which were their most advanced technological advances. The Han had made
some technological advances like the paper . The Han and Romans view technology as
a useful resource to support their subjects, the Han think of technology as a benefit for
the people, a way to make life easier for the people, some Romans think technology is
a useless thing because it is not that great.
In Documents one, six, and eight the Romans and Han use technological
advances like the aqueduct to make life easier for their subjects. In the letter The han
government official wrote (in doc one) a request for water conservation offices in all of
Chinas districts because he wants to use the water conservation technology to help
support Chinese subjects.The Han government official states “Order inspections of
waterways, the walls of the cities and their suburbs, the dikes and rivers, canals and
pools, and government buildings and cottages, and supply enough workers to those
who are to carry out the repair work in each district” showing that he wants Chinas new
water conservation facilities to work well for the people to benefit from them. The Han
government official’s view on technology is influenced by him being a government
official so he is has education in confucianism teaching him that he needs to help the
people lower than him. In the writing about Gaius, by Plutarch, (doc six) Plutarch talks
about how Gaius likes to build roads throughout Rome. Plutarch states “He was
especially anxious about road building, paying attention to utility as well as to that that
was beneficial to grace and beauty. Plutarch’s view regarding technology is influenced
by him being a government official so he wants the best people could have for trade and
travel in rome. In the writing about the Roman aqueducts, by Frontinus, he talks about
how the Roman aqueducts are helpful to all. Frontinus says “The abundance of water is
sufficient not only for public and private uses and applications but truly even for
pleasure”. Frontinuses view on technology is influenced on him being a governor so he
wants the best for his subjects. An additional document that could be used to help are
blueprints of the aqueducts. they could help to see how efficient they were and if people
could take advantage of them.
Documents two, three, and four all demonstrate that the Han government wants
to use technology for the benefit of its people. In the the paper by Huan
Guan(Document two) he explains that technology was better when made by the people,
the tools were more efficient and less costly. Huan Guan argues ”Tools manufactured
by individual families to do this work were well-made. Today the iron tools that workers
are required to use are produced by the state using convict labor; these tools are often
crude and not functional.” , this is showing that the tools made by the people were a
better benefit to the people and the government. Huan Guan’s view regarding
technology is influenced by him being concern for the people because he prefers the
family made tools because they benefit more the people because they will now gain
more money and the government will have better tools. In the discourse by Huan Tan
(document three) he explains that technology is made by wise men for the better of the
people. Huan Tan states “Fuxi* invented the pestle and mortar. *Fuxi is a mythological
wise emperor”. Huan Tan’s view regarding technology is influenced by him being a
philosopher so he think that tools were made by wise men because people could benefit
from them. In the history text by the government of China (document four) they tell
about governors Tu Shih new water powered machine. The government states “ Tu
Shih loved the common people and wished to save their labor”. The governments view
towards technology is influence by them being the government so they have to look
after their people and they want the government to look good in history.
Documents five and seven all demonstrate that Romans view technology as a
tool crafted by the inexperienced so it wasn't that great. In the paper by Cicero,(doc five)
he explains how it is vulgar to work for service rather than for skill. Cicero states ”
Vulgar and unbecoming to a gentleman are all jobs hired workers take on, whose labor
is purchased rather than their skill”. Cicero’s view regarding technology is influenced by
him being the upper class because he works in politics so he has no reason to favor
technology because he thinks there is no future in that topic. In the writing by Seneca
(document seven) he states that tools are not that great they were made by simple men.
Seneca states “I do not belief that tools for the crafts were invented by wise men”.
Seneca’s view regarding technology is influenced by him being a philosopher so he
thinks that technology isn't important and it doesn’t have a future.
The Han and Romans viewd technology as a useful resource to support their
subjects, the Han viewd technology as a way to benefit the people, some Roans viewd
technology as a tool useless because it was made by normal people. There were many
technological advances in both empires like the aqueducts or the paper.