How can a society promote good citizenship Government Mottos Peace order and good government Liberty Equality and Fraternity Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness Can you guess which country each motto is from ID: 595811
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Slide1
Contributing to Society
How can a society promote
good citizenship?Slide2
Government Mottos
“Peace, order and good government”“Liberty, Equality and Fraternity”“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”Can you guess which country each motto is from?What do they tell us about each country's worldview?Which one do you prefer?Slide3
Aztec Citizenship
Aztec society was focused on producing citizens who would contribute to the communityLessons on how to be a good citizen were part of their educationThe following is from a lesson on religion and good behaviour taught to students
Revere and greet your elders. Console the poor and the afflicted with good works and words . . . Do not mock the old, the sick, the maimed, or one who has sinned. Do not set a bad example, or speak indiscreetly, or interrupt the speech of another.
- Alonso de
Zorita
, 1512-1585
Q: What does this tell us about Aztec values?Slide4
Ideal Citizen
Courage
Self-sacrifice
Modesty
Clean Living
Obedience
Aztecs were expected to show courage and deal with hardships without complaining because it made the army strong.
The group was considered more important than the individual. Every Aztec had to be willing to sacrifice possessions, comfort, and even life itself, for the good of society.
No one, not even the greatest warrior, was supposed to boast about personal achievements or do anything else to stand out from the crowd.
People had to keep themselves healthy and avoid over-indulging in food and drink. The Aztecs harshly punished what they considered evil behaviour.
Everyone had to obey superiors without question, because this helped preserve the social order.
Compare and contrast these values to the values we have today in Canada. Do you see any similarities? Any differences?
How does this compare to the humanist idea of the ideal citizen?
Are there any values that you highly agree or disagree with? Why?Slide5
Laws and Lawmaking
Rights were protected by a system of written lawsThe legal system was an important part of maintaining orderIt was there to remind people of their responsibilities to be honest and obedientEveryone had to obey the laws, even noblesNobles were often judged more harshly than commoners if they broke the lawWhy do you think this is?Slide6
Legal System
There were two courts in the Aztec systemThe Lower Court and the High CourtOne could appeal to the High Court and then the Emperor if they did not like the verdict in the Lower CourtJudges based their verdict on the evidence that was presented to themOnce the judges had reached their decision, they handed down a sentenceLesser crimes = fined or sentenced to slaverySerious crimes = often deathSlide7
Restorative vs. Retributive Justice
Retributive justice deals with those that break the law by punishing themFined, jail time, or put to deathBased on three key valuesCommitting a crime is against society, so society has the right to punish youIf you treat others badly, you deserve to be treated badlyIf you are punished, you will not repeat your crime because you won't want to get punished againRestorative justice is less about punishment, and more about repairUsed mostly when dealing with youthBased on three valuesWhen you commit a crime, you need to repair the damage you have causedA crime is against a whole community, so everyone should be involved in the process of repairing the harm
If you understand how your crime affects others, you will be less likely to commit a crime againSlide8
Slave Laws
Slaves performed much necessary work for the AztecsThey had laws to protect their rightsIf a slave was beaten to death, the perpetrator could be executedIf a slave could escape from the marketplace (where they were sold) and reach the Emperor's palace (1.5 km away) they would automatically be given their freedomWhat does this remind you of?Aztec view of slavery:They did not think it was shameful to be a slave, more like bad luckThey did not consider slavery a permanent conditionSlaves could keep their property (even their own slaves) until they paid off their debt and rejoined societyChildren born to slaves were freeHow is this view different than other views of slavery?Slide9
Assignment/10
On the handout provided, create your own Aztec MottoThink back to our initial discussion of mottos and how they represent a nationWhat would a good one be for the Aztecs?After you have created your motto, write a paragraph to explain why you think it accurately represents the AztecsFeel free to use examples from lessons to enhance your explanationSlide10