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1、MO TZUS DOCTRINES OF UNIVERSAL LOVE, HEAVEN, AND SOCIAL WELFAREsystems in China. This is true so far as the last two thousand years are concerned. In ancient China, up to the beginning of the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), the greatest schools were Confucianism and Mo- ism.1 They dominated the int
2、ellectual scene from the fifth to at least the third century B.C. And they vigorously attacked each other. The two were bitter enemies because in their doctrines they were diametrically opposed. While Confucius took the Western Chou (1111- 770 B.C.) as his model, Mo Tzu looked to the Hsia (2183-1752
3、 B.C?) instead. The whole Confucian ethical system is based on the concept of humanity (jen), whereas Mo Tzu (fl. 479-438 B.C.)2 based his on the concept of righteousness (i). Both are of course human values. But while Confucianists kept humanity essentially a human value, Mo Tzu traced righteousnes
4、s to the will of Heaven. To the Confucianists, Heaven does not directly exert its will but leaves the moral law to operate by itself. To Mo Tzu, however, the will of Heaven determines all. Mo Tzu strongly condemns ceremonies, music, elaborate funerals, and the belief in fate (ming, destiny), all of
5、which were promoted by Confucius and his followers. For Confucius, moral life is desirable for its own sake, whereas for Mo Tzu it is desirable because of the benefits it brings. Even his concept of the will of Heaven is colored by this utilitarian approach. The greatest divergence between Confucian
6、ism and Moism, however, is on the issue of human relations. What distinguishes the Moist move- ment is its doctrine of universal love: other peoples parents, families, and countries are to be treated like ones own. This is of course absolutely incompatible with the basic Confucian doctrine of love w
7、ith distinctions: while love should embrace all, it must start with love for ones parents; therefore, one has a special obligation of filial piety to parents. Thus there is a gradation or degree in human relations. If the Moist doctrine were adopted, the whole Confucian system would be destroyed fro
8、m its very foundation. This was the reason why Mencius attacked Moism mercilessly.3 The Moists challenged the Confucianists not only in theory, but also1 Often spelled “Mohism,“ although the “h“ is entirely superfluous.2 The name Mo Tzu has been variously written as Moh-tse, Meh-tse, Micius, etc.3 M
9、encius, 3A:5, 3B:9.211and Taoism have been the two outstanding indigenous philosophicalSTUDENTS OF CHINESE thought are likely to think that Confucianism 9 MO TZUS DOCTRINES in actual practice. Like Confucius, Mo Tzu traveled from one state to another offering help to rulers. He did not hesitate to w
10、alk for ten days and ten nights in an effort to dissuade a ruler from making war, for he strongly condemned war. One might even say that the Confucianists and the Moists represented two entirely different groups of people. While Confucian followers came from all classes of society and Confucianism i
11、s basically equalitarian, they represented and aimed at producing an elite. We are not sure who the Moists were. The name Mo may have been a family name or may have denoted a form of punishment. The fact that Mo Tzus followers were ascetics and had “elders“ suggests that they might have been prisone
12、rs or slaves. All speculation aside, the fact re- mains that they may have represented the working class. If this is cor- rect, then the opposition between Confucianism and Moism is a fore- gone conclusion. We know very little about Mo Tzu himself. His private name was Ti. He was a native of either
13、Sung or Lu, Confucius native state. He was once the chief officer of Sung. Some say he was at first a follower of Con- fucianism and then turned to be an opponent. Eventually he had about three hundred followers. His dates are uncertain except that probably he was born before Confucius died and died
14、 before Mencius was bora. Aside from continuing his ethical teachings, his followers also developed some epistemological interest and evolved a crude system of definition and argumentation, perhaps in order to defend their peculiar doctrines. Both of these teachings disappeared soon after the third
15、century B.C. Ever since then, no Moist philosopher has appeared. The centuries of war in which Moism thrived was no time for intellectual hair-splitting and soph- istry, and their condemnation of war did not endear them to rulers. Their asceticism and utilitarianism were too extreme to be practicabl
16、e. But why did their lofty doctrine of universal love fail to continue? Was it too idealistic for the Chinese? Or was it inherently weak because it is largely motivated by the benefits it would bring?4 The question is open to speculation. One thing is certain, and that is, philosophically Moism is shallow and unimportant. It does not have the profound metaphysical presuppositions of either Taoism or Confucianism. Consequently it was only a temporary challenge to other schools,
