The Philosophy of the Mozi: The First Consequentialists

New
Paperback
2016
$36.57

Mohism was an ancient Chinese philosophical movement founded in the fifth century BCE by the charismatic artisan Mozi, or Master Mo. Its practitioners advanced a consequentialist ethics, along with fascinating political, logical, and epistemological theories, that set the terms of philosophical argumentation and reflection in China for generations to come. Mohism faded away in the imperial era, leaving the impression that it was not as vital as other Chinese philosophical traditions, yet a complete understanding of Confucianism or Daoism is impossible without appreciating the seminal contribution of Mohist thought. The Philosophy of the Mozi is an extensive study of Mohism, situating the movement's rise and decline within Chinese history. The book also emphasizes Mohism's relevance to modern systems of thought. Mohism anticipated Western utilitarianism by more than two thousand years. Its political theory is the earliest to outline a just war doctrine and locate the origins of government in a state of nature. Its epistemology, logic, and psychology provide compelling alternatives to contemporary Western mentalism. More than a straightforward account of Mohist principles and practice, this volume immerses readers in the Mohist mindset and clarifies its underpinning of Chinese philosophical discourse.

Synopsis

Mohism was an ancient Chinese philosophical movement founded in the fifth century BCE by the charismatic artisan Mozi, or Master Mo. Its practitioners advanced a consequentialist ethics, along with fascinating political, logical, and epistemological theories, that set the terms of philosophical argumentation and reflection in China for generations to come. Mohism faded away in the imperial era, leaving the impression that it was not as vital as other Chinese philosophical traditions, yet a complete understanding of Confucianism or Daoism is impossible without appreciating the seminal contribution of Mohist thought. The Philosophy of the Mozi is an extensive study of Mohism, situating the movement's rise and decline within Chinese history. The book also emphasizes Mohism's relevance to modern systems of thought. Mohism anticipated Western utilitarianism by more than two thousand years. Its political theory is the earliest to outline a just war doctrine and locate the origins of government in a state of nature. Its epistemology, logic, and psychology provide compelling alternatives to contemporary Western mentalism. More than a straightforward account of Mohist principles and practice, this volume immerses readers in the Mohist mindset and clarifies its underpinning of Chinese philosophical discourse.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Edition: Reprint
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 11 Oct 2016
ISBN 10: 0231149271
ISBN 13: 9780231149273
Book Overview: Mohism was an ancient Chinese philosophical movement founded in the fifth century B.C.E. by the charismatic artisan Mozi, or Master Mo. The Mohists advanced a consequentialist ethics that anticipated Western utilitarianism by more than two thousand years and developed fascinating logical, epistemological, and political theories that set the terms of philosophical debate in China for generations. They were the earliest thinkers to outline a just war doctrine and to explain the origin of government from a state of nature. Their epistemology and psychology provide intriguing alternatives to contemporary Western mentalism. The Philosophy of the Mozi is an extensive study of Mohism that immerses readers in the Mohist worldview, situates the movement's rise and decline within Chinese history, and highlights its relevance to modern thought.

Media Reviews

Not only the best study of the philosophy of the Mozi, but one of the best studies of any classical Chinese philosopher. -- Franklin Perkins, author of Heaven and Earth Are Not Humane: The Problem of Evil in Classical Chinese Philosophy Fraser is at his best and his most original in arguing for an interpretation of Mohist ethical theory as an early consequentialism that builds upon his own careful and persuasive explication of a Mohist philosophy of mind and action-a sui generis social psychology that has contemporary force in challenging the persistent subjective, individualist, and representational assumptions of our old common-sense psychology. -- Roger T. Ames, author of Dao De Jing: A Philosophical Translation Fraser's book is charitable-persuasively rebutting many standard criticisms of the Mohists-and yet critically engaged with the details of the Mohists' provocative positions. The philosophical study of the Mozicomes of age in this outstanding book. -- Stephen C. Angle, author of Sagehood: The Contemporary Significance of Neo-Confucian Philosophy Fraser is a gifted writer and expositor. Mo Di was not only the first consequentialist but also the first just war theorist, the first critic of extravagant ritual, the first critic of family-first ethics, and the first philosopher to offer what analytic philosophers would count as rigorous arguments. A must read for analytic philosophers who work in ethics and political philosophy. -- Owen Flanagan, author of The Geography of Morals: Varieties of Moral Possibility

Author Bio

Chris Fraser is associate professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong. His articles on the classical Chinese philosophy of language, ontology, epistemology, ethics, and psychology have appeared in the Journal of Chinese Philosophy, Asian Philosophy, Philosophy East and West, Journal of Chinese Philosophy and Culture, and New Asia Academic Bulletin.