Mozi Superiority And The Superiority Of Confucius

Mozi: Superiority and the Mirage of Impartiality In the fourth century B.C.E, a man now known as the first true philosopher of China founded the Mojia or â€Å"Mohist School† of philosophy. This man, of modest origins and most likely a former student of Confucian ideology, was named Mo Di, also referred to as â€Å"Master Mo† and most notably of all, Mozi. Beyond his philosophical expertise, Mozi also played the part as the organizing leader of a revolution and movement that engaged with utilitarian idealism, social justice, and militant frugality. He and his followers lived and thrived under extreme and stringent command, in which Mozi possessed the power to tax, judge, punish, and in some cases, execute his followers. Beyond his structure of†¦show more content†¦Whenever your superior approves of something as right you too must approve of it. Whenever your superior condemns something as wrong you too must condemn it. [...] But if you hear of something good or bad and fail to inform your superior, if you are not able to approve of what your superior approves of and condemn what your superior rejects [...] if you do not obey your superior and you join together with those in subordinate positions–such conduct will be punished by superiors and denounced by the people. This is how superiors shall determine rewards and punishments and they shall make careful examinations to ensure that their judgments are reliable.’ And so, the leader of each village would be the most benevolent person in the village. (Mozi, Chapter 11: Obeying One’s Superior) In this passage, Mozi provides a telling glimpse to the structure of his ideal hierarchy, referencing the â€Å"Son of Heaven† as a powerful entity harnessing the power to rule the people of the world. Given this, Mozi paints an image of a kingdom in which all living things thrive under the rule of Heaven, later alluding the idea of Heaven possessing a will independent of man and behaviour ofShow MoreRelatedMo Tzu1967 Words   |  8 Pageshimself and others. Mo Tzu’s notions of universal love was not only threatening to the Confucian way of thought, it also threatened the very basic clan-tribal relationship early Chinese governments were formed under. These tribal clans emphasized the superiority of their bloodline, in contrast to the commoners, to justify their heavy taxation and other unequal practices. When Mo Tzu criticizes Music in â€Å"Against Music,† he is criticizing the musical practices that have already become synonymous with materialist