<i>Jian ai</i> and the Mohist attack of Early Confucianism

Chiu, Wai Wai

doi:10.1111/phc3.12031

Cited by 3 publications

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“…87-88). However, as scholars have noted, some textual evidence in Mozi 墨子 (The Book of Master Mo) suggests that Mohism endorses family values and the norm of filial piety, even resorting to these normative ideas to defend the value of "impartiality" (Radice 2011;Chiu 2013;Andreini 2014). To solve this puzzle, I argue that Mengzi's qualms with Mozi's ethics have to do with the norms that regulate the relationship between states rather than individuals and that a core theme of their debate revolves around interstate warfare.…”

Section: 聖王不作，諸侯放恣，處士橫議，楊朱、墨翟之言盈天下。天下之言，不歸楊，則歸墨。楊氏為我，是無君也；墨氏兼愛，是無父也。...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Interstate Relational Ethics: Mengzi and Later Mohists in Dialogue

Lee

2023

Religions

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The popular interpretation holds that Mengzi was strongly critical of Mozi because the Mohist moral theory was antithetical to Confucian relational ethics. According to this interpretation, Mohism promotes the norm of “impartiality” or “impartial care”, which violates the Confucian norms of “filial piety” and “graded love”. Accordingly, Mengzi thought that the Confucian ideal would not be realized if Mohism continued to prevail. Scholars have tried to nuance and revise this dominant interpretation. For example, some have pointed out the importance of family-oriented values in Mohist ethical theory, arguing that Mengzi likely misunderstood or purposefully mispresented Mohism. This article is an initial attempt to modify the popular interpretation by arguing that the debate between Mengzi and Mohist regarding relational ethics is predominantly about the relations between states rather than individuals. This interpretation sheds light on a core difference between Confucian and Mohist ethical theories and can help make better sense of some later Mohist passages.

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confidence: 99%

Interstate Relational Ethics: Mengzi and Later Mohists in Dialogue

Lee

2023

Religions

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Business Environment in China

Zhang

2017

Communication, Culture and Change in Asia

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Austerity in Mohist ethics

Kim

2023

Analysis

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Fraser highlights an unattractive feature of Mohist ethics: the Mohists, while criticizing their Confucian contemporaries, restrict one’s pursuits to the most basic sorts of goods. Fraser suggests that the Mohists assume the perpetuity of scarce resources, which leads to a commitment to austerity, which in turn leads them to deny a plausible third way between austerity and excess. In their defence, I argue that the Mohists do not assume perpetuity of scarce resources but rather the hedonic treadmill. And instead of begging the question by assuming austerity and then denying a moderate alternative to excess, the Mohists take the hedonic treadmill to preclude a principled stopgap between austerity and excess, leaving austerity as the only acceptable option. Finally, these dynamics illuminate a feature that should make us wary of parallels to Millian utilitarianism: the maximization principle of the latter is absent from Mohism, and this goes hand-in-hand with austerity.

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Jian ai and the Mohist attack of Early Confucianism

Abstract: In Chinese pre-Qin period, Mohism was the first school that challenged Confucianism.

Cited by 3 publications

References 10 publications

Interstate Relational Ethics: Mengzi and Later Mohists in Dialogue

Interstate Relational Ethics: Mengzi and Later Mohists in Dialogue

Business Environment in China

Austerity in Mohist ethics

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