Considering the Present from the Past

On Mohist Thought and Its Modern Transformation

Bibliographic Data

ID19570523
AuthorsHsien-Chung Lee (National Taiwan University, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume7
Issue1-2
Pages79-111
Publication date2021-12-09
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Chinese Humanities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2352-1333 • E-ISSN: 2352-1341
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1163/23521341-12340109
OpenAlexW4200469051
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited2

Pre-Qin era Mohist thought was endowed with a Confucian legacy as well as a critical eye and a unique set of ideas. These ideas later affected Legalist thought and attracted criticism from Mencius, Xunzi, and Zhuangzi, and many disputes arose thereafter between the later Mohists. Mohist thought can be broadly characterized as possessing distinctively ethical, rational, and practical features, and we can identify three main aspects of the modern transformation of Mohist philosophy. The first derives from Mozi’s statement on “[the endeavor to] procure benefits for the world and eliminate its calamities,” which can be interpreted as calling on humanity to resolve regional issues from a global viewpoint. The second draws upon Mozi’s statement on “universal love and mutual aid” to promote a manner of thinking that embraces peace at a global level and cultivates strong worldwide environmental awareness. The third draws upon Mozi’s ideas of “identification with the superior” and “Mohist methods of thinking” to promote a type of technological integration that incorporates cultural and social approaches and scientific thought to establish a global teaching system

Criticism · Environmental ethics · Epistemology · Humanity · Mohism · Political science · Sociology · Chinese history and philosophy · Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond · Law · Philosophy

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access