Mozi as a Critic of Unification Warfare

UM > Faculty of Arts and Humanities > DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Status	已發表Published
	Mozi as a Critic of Unification Warfare
	Lee, T. M.
	2019-11-01
Source Publication	第三屆中國古代論辯學術研討會：語言、邏輯與思想
Abstract	In the standard narrative of Chinese philosophy, Yang Zhu and Mozi are often portrayed as two thinkers whose views regarding relational ethics are extreme and incompatible — Yang Zhu cares exclusively for oneself and Mozi cares inclusively for all — and Mengzi holds the “benevolent and righteous” position between the two extremes. This portrayal is based on a popular interpretation of the Mengzi criticism of Yang Zhu and Mozi. According to the popular interpretation, Mengzi criticizes Yang Zhu for refusing to fulfill any duties to the society and Mozi for advocating equal obligations to all. This interpretation, when assessed exclusively within the Mengzi text, may appear to be plausible, but it might seem dubious when read in the light of other early texts. By reading the Mengzi passages together with later Mohist texts and pre-Qin and early Han accounts on Yang Zhu, this chapter proposes an alternative interpretation. In this interpretation, Yang Zhu and Mozi are being criticized because they oppose war for unification. As the Mengzi holds that unification war is the path to restore order and peace, Yang Zhu and Mozi deploy different arguments against this view. Yang Zhu argues that war would naturally stop if no one sacrifices oneself by participating in a war, while Mozi argues that war would naturally stop if, by caring for others, everyone is willing to sacrifice oneself instead of others.
Keyword	Mozi Mohism Mengzi Confucianism
Language	英語English
The Source to Article	PB_Publication
PUB ID	49311
Document Type	Conference paper
Collection	DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Recommended Citation GB/T 7714	Lee, T. M.. Mozi as a Critic of Unification Warfare[C], 2019.
APA	Lee, T. M..(2019). Mozi as a Critic of Unification Warfare. 第三屆中國古代論辯學術研討會：語言、邏輯與思想.

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