Kezia Nyarko

Mr. Saldivar
WHAP A4
Nov. 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 dont have to
always choose my son or someone under the influence of wealth. I can pick someone whos
smart and has the morals I need from my people.
5. In what sense was it less so?
In the sense that the idea was brilliant but didnt 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
past. If you study while youre 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.