Mo Tzu

(or Mo Ti, 479–371 BCE)

 handout h: 

 

Principal Doctrines

   1. UNIVERSAL LOVE = chien ai

   2. The THREE TESTS of what is to be believed and acted on:

          a) BASIS or origin

          b) VERIFIABILITY or examination

          c) UTILITY or applicability

   3. UTILITARIANISM = the ‘loving’ policy is the one which “increases benefits

                                  and decreases calamities”

   4. There are five main CATEGORIES OF ‘BENEFITS’:

          a) Enriching the economy

          b) Increasing the population

          c) Establishing social order (by 5 & 6)

          d) Preventing offensive warfare

          e) Obtaining blessings from spirits (by 7 & 8)

   5. AGREEMENT WITH THE SUPERIOR

   6. EXALTING THE WORTHY

   7. FOLLOWING THE WILL OF HEAVEN

   8. OPPOSING FATALISM