Preface
In the history of ancient Chinese philosophy, Mohists were a powerful intellectual force, and they put forward a series of theories and ideas that subverted the tradition in an attempt to change the status quo of society. However, although the ideas of the Mohists had their glorious moments, in the end they completely disappeared and became the dust of history.
So, why did the Mo family disappear completely? If the Mo family still exists, what kind of science and technology will China's science and technology be? Why did the Mo family suffer such a fate? What kind of story is hidden behind its rise and fall?
1. The cry of turbulent times
The Western Zhou Dynasty was declining, and its national strength was declining. King Zhou You was not only killed by foreign tribes, but it was even more outrageous that there were princes who united with foreign enemies to fight against the royal family. The world is in turmoil, humanity is annihilated, and social order is falling apart.
It was at this time that a thinker from humble beginnings stepped forward and called for the rebuilding of social values and the rule of virtue rather than fighting. He was Confucius, the founder of Confucianism.
Confucius saw the decay of society, where people killed each other, and relatives were disrespectful. He put forward the concept of "benevolence" and hoped to re-establish social order through mutual care. He emphasized that people from different walks of life should respect each other, and that there should be differences between kings and ministers, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives should be righteous. Only when everyone does their part and sticks to their place can society be harmonious and orderly again.
This thought of Confucius was later called the "Three Principles and Five Constants" and became the core proposition of Confucianism. Among them, the "three outlines" refer to the monarch as the minister, the father as the son, and the husband as the wife. The "five constants" are benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and faith. These ideas undoubtedly injected a shot in the arm for the turbulent society of the time, and pointed out the direction for the re-establishment of order.
However, Confucius's ideas did not come about overnight. After him, people such as Mencius and Xunzi further developed Confucianism, making it more refined and systematic. Among them, Mencius's "concept of the mandate of heaven" laid the foundation for the Confucian theory of "divine authority of kings".
It can be said that in this turbulent era, Confucianism injected a strong positive energy into society and became one of the most influential currents of thought at that time. It not only had a profound impact on the political landscape of later generations, but also became an important part of traditional Chinese culture.
2. The emergence of Taoism
At the same time, another trend of thought began to surge in the land of the East. It advocates letting go of all desires and going with the flow, which is the Taoist doctrine. Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, once said: "For the sake of learning day by day, for the Tao day by day." Loss after loss, so that nothing can be done. He believes that people should abandon complex thoughts and desires and live a simple and simple life. Only in this way can the ruler better govern the people.
Before Lao Tzu, there was another pioneer, and he was Yang Zhu. Yang Zhu once put forward a very controversial point: "Let me lose a little bit of my slightest benefit to dedicate the world, or let the whole world be used by me, I will not choose either way." "
What he means is that if everyone does not sacrifice himself or use the world for his own benefit, then the world will be governed. This thought influenced the core concept of "rule by doing nothing" in later Taoism.
This Taoist idea of "returning to nature" is in stark contrast to the Confucian idea of human order. It advocates letting go of all desires and going with the flow, which is very different from the Confucian view of etiquette and hierarchical order.
However, although the influence of Taoism is not as broad and deep as that of Confucianism, it is still an important school of thought alongside Confucianism. Lao Tzu's concept of "rule by doing nothing" laid an important foundation for the political philosophy of later generations. Yang Zhu's view of "not sacrificing oneself and not taking advantage of the world" is a profound insight into human nature and has influenced the development of Taoist thought.
It can be said that in this turbulent era, Taoism provided people with a new way of life and values, and became an important trend of thought alongside Confucianism. Its appearance enriched the hundred gardens of the ideological circles at that time and made important contributions to the development of Chinese culture.
3. The rise of Mohistism
However, in the gap between these two major schools of thought, a very innovative and rational school was also born - Mohist. Mozi, the founder of the Mo family, was a very different kind of thinker. He had the courage to challenge tradition and put forward the propositions of "non-fate" and "non-offensive", denying the rationality of the Mandate of Heaven and war.
What is even more criticized is that Mozi explicitly opposes the concept of the "Mandate of Heaven", believing that the Mandate of Heaven is not an inviolable oracle, but must be based on the will of the people. He even suggested that if the king could not love the people as much as the sages, then he would end up like a tyrant, and God would not protect him.
This was a direct challenge to the theocracy of the king at that time, and naturally caused great controversy in feudal society. However, Mozi did not completely deny the existence of heaven, but separated heaven from man, giving man greater autonomy.
In addition to ideological innovation, the Mohists also made many achievements in science and technology. Mozi discovered the refraction of light and the phenomenon of small hole imaging, and had insightful insights into mathematical concepts such as points, lines, and surfaces. His thoughts also contain the germ of modern philosophy, such as cause and effect.
These innovative ideas and inventions undoubtedly gave the Mohists a place in the intellectual circles of the time. For a time, the influence of the Mohists expanded rapidly in China, and the number of believers even surpassed Confucianism and Taoism.
These views of Mozi were a subversive challenge to the social order of the time. He not only repudiated the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, but also gave the people more autonomy, which was undoubtedly a direct attack on the legitimacy of the king's rule.
It can be said that the rise of Mohism injected a new vitality into the ideological circles at that time. It not only puts forward innovative ideas in theory, but also achieves fruitful results in practice. This school of thought, which was both rational and creative, was also one of the most influential currents of thought at that time.
Fourth, the road to destruction
However, the good times did not last long, and the decline of the Mo family came so quickly that it was unbelievable. The reason for this is that the Mohist ideology threatens the dominance of those in power. Ancient kings often regarded themselves as "sons of heaven", and the divine mandate of heaven became the source of legitimacy for their rule. The Mohist view of "non-heaven" is undoubtedly a direct challenge to the sacredness of royal power.
What's more serious is that Mozi added an intermediate link between the king and the people - the "Juzi" of the Mo family. They were seen as the spokesmen of the people, and if they felt that the king was not qualified, they could simply remove him.
In a feudal society where the throne is hereditary, this is simply a heinous statement. The ideas of Mohism completely violated the taboo of the ruling class and doomed it to be stifled. Naturally, the rulers of the time would not tolerate such a widespread spread in society.
They used various means to severely suppress the Mo family. Under this pressure, the influence of the Mo family gradually declined, and finally disappeared from the stage of history after several generations.
The forcible stiflation of once-brilliant ideas is a huge loss for the development of China's science and technology. Many of Mozi's inventions, such as optical principles and mathematical concepts, laid the foundation for scientific and technological progress in later generations.
It can be said that the demise of the Mohists is not only the demise of a school of thought, but also a history full of regrets. Its disappearance has not only hindered the progress of China's science and technology, but also deprived us of a unique and creative ideological system. This is a great regret in the history of Chinese cultural development.
epilogue
Whenever we look back at history, we always find some stories that were once forgotten. The rise and fall of the Mo family is one of the good stories. Their spirit of courage to innovate and practice is worthy of our eternal memory.
If Mohist thought had not been stifled, what path would China's science and technology have taken head? I am afraid that there will never be a definite answer to this question. But what is certain is that the path will be completely different from what we are familiar with.
The road of scientific and technological development of mankind is not achieved overnight, but comes from the diligent pursuit of countless thinkers. We should humbly learn from the wisdom of our predecessors, and while regretting it, we should also respect their contributions. Only in this way can we continue to break through and surpass on the tortuous road of development.