The Essential Mòzǐ: Ethical, Political, and Dialectical Writings (Oxford World's Classics)

'The task of the benevolent person is surely to diligently seek to promote the benefit of the world and eliminate harm to the world' The M�zi is among the founding texts of the Chinese philosophical tradition, presenting China's earliest ethical, political, and logical theories. The collected works introduce concepts, assumptions, and issues that had a profound, lasting influence throughout the classical and early imperial eras. M�zi and his followers developed the world's first ethical theory, and presented China's first account of the origin of political authority from a state of nature. They were prominent social activists whose moral and political reform movement sought to improve the welfare of the common people and eliminate elite extravagance and misuse of power. In this new translation, Chris Fraser focuses on the philosophical aspects of the writing and allows readers to truly enter the Mohists' world of thought. This abridged edition includes the essential political and social topics of concern to this vital movement. Informed by traditional and recent scholarship, the translation presents the Mohists' ideas and arguments clearly, precisely, and coherently, while accurately reflecting the meaning, terminology, and style of the original. "The Mòzi is among the founding texts of the Chinese philosophical tradition, presenting China's earliest ethical, political, and logical theories. The collected works introduce concepts, assumptions, and issues that had a profound, lasting influence throughout the classical and early imperial eras. Mòzi and his followers developed the world's first ethical theory, and presented China's first account of the origin of political authority from a state of nature. They were prominent social activists whose moral and political reform movement sought to improve the welfare of the common people and eliminate elite extravagance and misuse of power. In this new translation, Chris Fraser focuses on the philosophical aspects of the writing and allows readers to truly enter the Mohists' world of thought. This abridged edition includes the essential political and social topics of concern to this vital movement. Informed by traditional and recent scholarship, the translation presents the Mohists' ideas and arguments clearly, precisely, and coherently, while accurately reflecting the meaning, terminology, and style of the original." -- Provided by publisher "The Mozi contains the collected writings of the followers of Mo Di, an ethical, political, and religious activist and teacher who lived during the fifth century bc in the 'central states' that were later united to become the Chinese empire. Mo Di and his followers initiated philosophical debate in China, introduced influential ethical, political, and logical theories, and were renowned for their outspoken opposition to military aggression and their expertise in defensive warfare. They played a prominent role in Chinese philosophical discourse for over two centuries." An abridged translation of the influential classical Chinese text Mozi covering the ethical and political writings and the dialectical texts.