This chapter records Mozi’s talk with disciple Qin Guli on city defense. It lists twelve siege tactics and matching countermeasures, detailing fortifications, weapons, manpower allocation and fourteen essential defense prerequisites.
This chapter records debates between Mozi and Confucian Gong Mengzi. Mozi refutes Confucian views on passive conduct, ancient robes, fatalism, elaborate funerals and empty music, denouncing four harmful Confucian doctrines while acknowledging Confucius’ valid ideas.
Centered on “valuing righteousness”, this chapter argues righteousness surpasses life and the world. It records Mozi’s travels, rebuts superstition, stresses words must guide action, and advocates frugality and merit-based governance.
This dialogue chapter collects Mozi’s debates with disciples and opponents. It defends universal love against egoism, condemns offensive wars, prioritizes righteousness over wealth, and refutes conservative Confucian views with vivid analogies.
This core Mohist logic text defines four reasoning modes and semantic rules. It categorizes four proposition forms and resolves the “killing robbers is not killing people” paradox to justify its universal love doctrine.
This Later Mohist chapter develops utilitarian “weighing” ethics and formal logic. It defines righteousness as benefit, expounds universal love, distinguishes intent from outcome, and analyzes names, categories, and valid argument rules.
Chapter 41: Canons – Part II Rest (Zhi): Staying within a category of motion. Explanation lies in sameness.The coexistence of subject and attribute: Which truly exists? There are four divergent theories.The difficulty of analogical reasoning lies in the difference in size.The Five Elements do not constantly overcome each other. Explanation lies in suitability.Things share…
This chapter holds Heaven’s will the absolute moral gauge. It criticizes people’s moral double standard: punishing petty crimes yet glorifying interstate wars, and stresses universal love as the only righteous path conforming to Heaven.
This chapter holds Heaven the supreme source of righteousness. It states Heaven favors universal mutual aid and punishes warmongering partiality, using sage kings and tyrants as examples, and treats Heaven’s will as the objective standard to judge all conduct.