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Mozi – Chapter 21
This chapter expands Mohist utilitarian frugality, setting minimal functional standards for food, clothes, housing, weapons and burials. It cites Emperor Yao as a model ruler rejecting fancy rituals and unnecessary luxurious spending.
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Mozi – Chapter 20
This chapter advocates cutting useless luxury spending to double national wealth. It sets utilitarian standards for daily goods and promotes early marriage to boost population, criticizing wars and heavy taxes that reduce residents.
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Mozi – Chapter 19
This chapter distinguishes aggressive invasions from Heaven-sanctioned righteous punitive campaigns. It denounces offensive wars for harming heaven, spirits and civilians, and advocates benevolent governance to win vassals without bloodshed.
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Mozi – Chapter 18
This chapter calculates war’s massive human and material losses. It refutes pro-war arguments with cases of Wu and Zhi Bo, showing conquest brings net loss, and urges rulers learn from historical failures to reject offensive wars.
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Mozi – Chapter 17
This chapter denounces aggressive wars. By escalating crimes from petty theft to mass killing, Mozi exposes people’s moral hypocrisy: they condemn minor crimes yet glorify invasive warfare as righteous, lacking clear justice judgment.