Mozi

Mozi is the title of the foundational text of Mohism, serving as a comprehensive compilation of writings by Mo Di‘s disciples and later followers. According to the Yiwenzhi (Treatise on Literature) in the Book of Han (Hanshu) compiled by Ban Gu in the Eastern Han dynasty, the original text comprised 71 chapters; today, 53 chapters survive.

The extant Mozi is broadly divided into two parts:

• The first part primarily records Mozi’s sayings, deeds, and core doctrines, reflecting the thought of early Mohism – including its ethical, political, and social teachings such as “universal love” jian ai), “condemnation of offensive warfare” fei gong), and advocacy for frugality and meritocracy.
• The second part consists of six specialized chapters: Jing Shang (Canon Upper), Jing Xia (Canon Lower), Jing Shuo Shang (Explanations of the Canon Upper), Jing Shuo Xia (Explanations of the Canon Lower), Da Qu (Greater Selection), and Xiao Qu (Lesser Selection). Collectively known as the Mo Bian (“Mohist Dialectics”) or Mo Jing (“Mohist Canons”), these texts constitute a sophisticated treatise on epistemology, logic, semantics, and early natural science, including optics, mechanics, and geometry. They represent the intellectual achievements of later Mohist logicians and scientists, likely dating to the 4th–3rd centuries BCE.

The Mozi as a whole covers an exceptionally broad range of subjects – politics, military defense, ethics, philosophy, logic, and empirical science – making it an indispensable primary source for understanding Mozi’s teachings and the evolution of the Mohist school during the Warring States period.