PANTHEON
ExploreBuild My Library
© 2026 Pantheon — an atlas of the ideas that shaped how we think.
person470 BCE-391 BCE

Mozi

Disciplines:
political philosophy
ethics
logic

Summary

Chinese philosopher who founded Mohism — opposing Confucianism — with the doctrine of jian ai (universal, impartial love), consequentialist ethics, and active opposition to aggressive warfare.

Core Contribution

Jian ai: one should love others as oneself, without the gradations of Confucian filial piety — partial love causes conflict. Consequences determine the right action — an early utilitarian. Organized his followers into a disciplined defensive militia that traveled to protect states under attack.

Key Spikes & Highlights

  • His followers formed the first known professional pacifist defense organization — a quasi-military band that would help states resist aggression, making anti-war activism a physical practice.
  • Argued that music and elaborate funerals waste resources that could feed the poor — an aesthetic austerity that put him at odds with both Confucian ritual and aristocratic culture.

Notable Works & Achievements

Mozi

Historical Influences

Confucius

Intellectual Lineage

Classical Chinese Philosophy

Contemporaries & Peers

Confucius Mencius

Minds Influenced

Classical Chinese Debate Tradition

Intellectual Posterity

Mohism Chinese LogicEarly Chinese Consequentialism

Discussing

Mozi

Ask anything about Mozi — their ideas, influences, contradictions, legacy.

Sign in to start a conversation.