Mohism And Legalism During The Warring Period

During the warring time period, 479 BCE - 221 BCE, many Chinese philosophies were created. The Warring Period was a time of conflict between different feudal states. Some of the conflict was resolved using various philosophies. Two popular philosophies created during that time were Mohism and Legalism. Mohism “became influential when technical intelligence began to challenge traditional priest craft in ancient China” (philosophy.hku.hk). Mohism was a classical philosophy in early Chinese culture that promoted the main principles of universal love, moral conduct, consequentialism, and utilitarianism. It was considered not only a philosophy but a “social and religious movement” (Plato. Stanford) during the warring time period. The founder of

Mohists believe in the Mohism philosophy which they apply to the daily parts of their lives. The laws and beliefs of Mohism are all categorized in the Mo-tzu. The Mo-tzu originally consisted of seventy-one chapters, but today sixteen of those chapters are lost. These chapters enforce the six main principles of Mohism. The first is “universal love” which states that everyone should love everyone the same. This teaching is very similar to one of the most well know scriptures in Christian theology is “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34-35). The second principle of Mohism is “opposition to offensive war.” This principle was formed because Mozi opposed being aggressive unless a person is doing it in defense. The third principle is “opposition to music.” Mozi considered music a “source of extravagance, associating it with dance, flamboyance and a waste of public resources which could be used to feed, shelter and protect people (philtar.ac.uk).” In other words, Mozi thought music was a distraction. The fourth principle of Mohism is known as “opposition to elaborate funerals” because they were highly expensive. The fifth principle is “divine retribution.” Instead of envisioning heaven as a place, Mohists view it as a personal force. They believe heaven knows and sees the wrongdoings of every man and punishes them. This principle encouraged people to have a moral behavior. The last and sixth principle of Mohism is “government.” Mohism is different from Confucianism because Mohists believe people can criticize (not necessarily disobey) their ruler if they believe, the ruler’s actions are “not in accord with the will of heaven”