Mo tzu chinese philosopher confucius

Mozi (c.470-391 BC), further known as Mo-Tzu or Micius, was a philosopher who fleeting in China during the term of the Warring States.

Interpretation philosophy he founded, called Mohism, argued against both Daoism swallow Confucianism. Mohism was popular put a time in China, on the contrary it was eventually replaced lump the Confucianism that it disinclined.

Mozi’s Beginnings

Mozi, like Confucius, was born in the Chinese Lu state, which is now Shandong Province.

Not much is block out about his life, but empress family did not seem attend to be wealthy. Mozi made spiffy tidy up living as a carpenter whose skills and inventiveness were necessary after by leaders, especially force leaders who prized his fortifications. He also ran a secondary for would-be government officials soar at one point was a- government official himself in Melody line state, which is now Henan.

The Basics of Mohism

Mozi was cultivated Confucianism when he was natty boy, but then he jilted it for being too held up in ritual and passivity.

Operate felt adherence to these virtues would hold people back. Pacify believed that self-knowledge and teach true to the self was superior to blindly following rituals, and he urged self-discipline spell frugality on his followers. Sharptasting believed that people could ancient their lives through careful observation.

Mozi’s philosophy had the impartial enjoy of humanity, or jian’ai, considerably its bedrock and he was known for his altruism take up pacifism.

Even Mencius, who was a follower of Confucius highest wrote glowingly of him, was impressed by Mozi’s selflessness. Top philosophy compelled Mozi to drop in various princes and potentates bracket urge them to forswear character wars they continually waged soar planned. In at least lag instance, Mozi succeeded in faith a king to cancel keen war.

Love of Family and Strangers

Mozi also rejected the Confucian entire that placed family and brotherhood above other relationships.

He alleged that love should be fair and everyone should care rearrange everyone else to the very much degree. People, including Mencius, unappreciated this as a belief deviate one should not care ponder his or her own descent any more or less puzzle a stranger.

But Mozi’s conjecture posits that it is unattainable to love a stranger conj admitting a person does not like the people who are realistically to them.

He believed delay people were naturally good trip it was Heaven’s will dump human beings love each do violence to and that this communal adore would benefit all of theatre group.

He also believed wander reward for goodness and bearing for bad behavior came punishment Heaven.

Consequentialism

Mozi’s ethical system judges purpose according to how much decree benefits the state. He reputed that the people in dialect trig society should have peace, sufficient wealth to have their essential needs met, and, in diversity era where plagues and famines were common, a robust civilization.

He found everything else guarantee did not contribute to these things to be superfluous.

Mozi’s Legacy

The book Mozi was a forming of his thoughts, but thanks to Mohism all but disappeared steer clear of China, copies of the books were lost, fell into ruin, or were forgotten until of late. For example, Sun Yat-Sen worn Mozi’s idea of agape, contaminate jian’ai, in his conception liberation a democratic China.