Mozi - Icon Profile | Alexandria
Mozi (墨子, c. 470-391 BCE), born Mo Di, stands as one of ancient China's most revolutionary and enigmatic philosophers, whose teachings challenged the orthodox Confucian ideology of his time with remarkable pragmatism and scientific methodology. Known also as Master Mo or Micius in Latin translations, he emerged from humble origins to become the founder of Mohism, a philosophical school that would profoundly influence Chinese intellectual history through its advocacy of universal love, meritocracy, and logical reasoning.
The earliest reliable accounts of Mozi appear in the eponymous text "Mozi," compiled by his followers during the Warring States period (475-221 BCE). Contemporary to Confucius yet standing in stark opposition to many Confucian principles, Mozi developed his philosophy during an era of intense political fragmentation and social upheaval, when competing schools of thought sought to address China's pressing problems. His background as a carpenter and military engineer infused his philosophical approach with a distinctive practical bent, leading to innovations in logic, optics, and defensive warfare that were centuries ahead of their time.
Mozi's philosophical system centered on ten key doctrines, including universal love (jianai), merit-based promotion (shangsian), and opposition to offensive warfare (feigong). Perhaps most intriguingly, he developed China's first systematic theory of logic and argumentation, employing empirical observation and rational analysis in ways that paralleled later Western scientific methods. His school conducted sophisticated experiments in optics, discovering the camera obscura effect and developing theories about light's behavior that wouldn't be matched in Europe until the Renaissance.
The influence of Mohism waned after the Qin dynasty's unification of China in 221 BCE, yet Mozi's legacy persists in unexpected ways. Contemporary scholars have recognized his contributions to fields ranging from ethics to engineering, while his emphasis on universal love and opposition to wasteful expenditure resonates with modern humanitarian and environmental concerns. The rediscovery of Mohist logical texts in the early 20th century has sparked renewed interest in this remarkable philosopher who combined practical wisdom with moral vision, leaving us to wonder: what other insights might this ancient teacher offer to our modern world?