Philosophy: Ancient: Mozi

The Mozi is one of the small number of key texts surviving from the first flowering of Chinese philosophy during the Warring States period (403–221 BC). In structure, the Mozi comprises five distinct parts. Part I, the Epitomes, contains seven short essays on elements of Mohist doctrine. Part II, the'Core Doctrines,'contains twentyfour chapters: twentythree from the presumed thirty original chapters, arranged as ten triads, which set out the ten central doctrines of Mo Zi's ethical, social and political philosophy, and one of the two presumed chapters articulating Mo Zi's opposition to Confucianism. Part III, on'dialectics,'contains six chapters on logic, language, disputation, ethics, science and other matters, attributed to the Later Mohists and written, in part at least, in defence of the original Mohist doctrines. Part IV, the Dialogues, contains five chapters made up of lively conversations, edifying anecdotes and gnomic utterances, a form more characteristic of the philosophical writing of the time. Part V, on the defence of a city, contains eleven chapters detailing the principles and practices of defensive warfare, a subject on which Master Mo was acknowledged as the leading authority of the time. The Mozi is, then, a rich and varied work, and yet it has been sadly neglected, both in China and the West. This is the first English translation of the complete work and the first bilingual version in any European language.

The book Mozi, named after master Mo, was compiled in the course of the fifth-third centuries BCE. The seven studies included in the The Mozi as an Evolving Text analyse the Core Chapters, Dialogues, and Opening Chapters of the Mozi as an evolving text.

I Introduction (starting p. 1) -- Purpose of the Study (starting p. 1) -- Method (starting p. 2) -- Past Scholarship (starting p. 5) -- Theses (starting p. 14) -- Notes (starting p. 19) -- II The Life and Times of Mo tzu (starting p. 24) -- The Milieu (starting p. 24) -- The Life and Social Background of Mo tzu (starting p. 29) -- The Teachings and Actions of Mo tzu and His School (starting p. 35) -- Notes (starting p. 45) -- III The Mo tzu (starting p. 50) -- The History of the Text (starting p. 50) -- Text Divisions, Authenticity, Authorship and Time of Composition (starting p. 55) -- The Divisions of the Text and Their Authenticity (starting p. 55) -- Notes (starting p. 69) -- IV Analysis of the Essays 1 (starting p. 74) -- Introduction (starting p. 74) -- Exaltation of the Virtuous (starting p. 76) -- Identification with the Superior (starting p. 84) -- Universal Love (starting p. 92) -- Notes (starting p. 101) -- V Analysis of the Essays 2 (starting p. 107) -- Condemnation of Offensive War (starting p. 107) -- Economy of Expenditures (starting p. 115) -- Simplicity in Funerals (starting p. 118) -- Notes (starting p. 127) -- VI Analysis of the Essays 3 (starting p. 132) -- Will of Heaven (starting p. 132) -- On Ghosts (starting p. 137) -- Condemnation of Music (starting p. 141) -- Anti-Fatalism (starting p. 145) -- Anti-Confucianism (starting p. 150) -- The Religion of the Essays (starting p. 151) -- Notes (starting p. 156) -- VII Analysis of the Dialogues (starting p. 163) -- Introduction to the Dialogues (starting p. 163) -- Keng Chu (starting p. 165) -- Esteem for Righteousness (starting p. 167) -- Kung Meng (starting p. 170) -- Lu's Question (starting p. 173) -- Kung Shu (starting p. 177) -- The Religion of the Dialogues (starting p. 178) -- Notes (starting p. 179) -- VIII Conclusion (starting p. 183) --

"Mohism was an ancient Chinese philosophical movement founded in the fifth century BCE by the charismatic artisan Mòzi, or Master Mo. Its practitioners advanced a consequentialist ethics, along with fascinating political, logical, and epistemological theories, that set the terms of philosophical argumentation and reflection in China for generations to come. Mohism faded away in the imperial era, leaving the impression that it was not as vital as other Chinese philosophical traditions, yet a complete understanding of Confucianism or Daoism is impossible without appreciating the seminal contribution of Mohist thought. The Philosophy of the Mòzi is an extensive study of Mohism, situating the movement rise and decline within Chinese history. The book also emphasizes Mohism relevance to modern systems of thought. Mohism anticipated Western utilitarianism by more than two thousand years. Its political theory is the earliest to outline a just war doctrine and locate the origins of government in a state of nature. Its epistemology, logic, and psychology provide compelling alternatives to contemporary Western mentalism. More than a straightforward account of Mohist principles and practice, this volume immerses readers in the Mohist mindset and clarifies its underpinning of Chinese philosophical discourse."-