Portrait: AI-generated imagined likeness

Mozi

Philosopher · Engineer · Writer

Years: c. 470 BC–c. 391 BC
Birthplace: China
Birth polity: Warring States China
Era: Ancient
Field: Philosophy
Occupations: Philosopher · Engineer · Writer

He was a thinker during the Sengoku period and is said to be the founder of the ink school. He preached love, non-aggression, and practicality, and showed a political ethics different from that of Confucianism. It connects local history and world history and provides clues for deciphering changes during the same era.

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Historical context

Places

State of Lu
Birth

Works & achievements

Mozi
Book

Events

Development of Mohism
450 BC–391 BC
Movement · Leader

Origins

Origins map

Birth country

Birth country: China

Map: Natural Earth (PD)

Biography

Early life

Although much is unclear about his origins, it is said that he developed his ideas from a position close to that of lower-level engineers and practitioners. In an era of continuous war, he explored the logic of stopping attacks between nations.

Achievements

He advocated love, which is universal love that transcends class differences, and non-aggression, which negates wars of aggression. He was also knowledgeable about castle defense techniques, linking thought and practice.

Character & anecdotes

It is said that Mozi's school had a strict organization and provided defense support in various areas. He was not only a philosopher, but also a leader of a practical group who knew technology.

Historical Impact

Studying Mozi reveals that Chinese thought was not exclusively Confucian, but developed in a variety of ways around specific countermeasures to war and inequality. When you look at the people's activities and works together, it becomes easier to understand the terms in textbooks as concrete historical trends.