Feudal Japan and Feudal Europe: Convergence or Coincidence?

CASE BRIEF: Two societies with no contact — medieval Europe and feudal Japan — developed strikingly similar warrior codes.

TASK: Compare samurai and knight codes of conduct across two unconnected societies to evaluate why similar systems emerged independently.

EVIDENCE: Excerpt from the Bushido code - Excerpt from a medieval European chivalric code - Diagram comparing feudal social hierarchies

ANALYZE: What social problem does each code try to solve? Are the similarities more about values or about power structures? Does independent similarity suggest a universal pattern in human societies?

BUILD A CLAIM: Argue whether the similarities between samurai and knight codes reflect coincidence or a deeper pattern in how societies organize power.

RUBRIC: Compares specific code language from both cultures - Addresses the hierarchy diagram directly - Considers alternative explanations for similarity