Mozi (book)

The Mozi (Chinese: 墨子), also called the Mojing (Chinese: 墨經) or the Mohist canon, is an ancient Chinese text from the Warring States period (476–221 BC). It shares the ideas of Mohism, a way of thinking started by a person named Mozi. This book talks about important ideas like treating everyone fairly, choosing leaders based on how well they do their jobs, helping the economy grow, and not spending too much on showy things. The words in the book are simple and easy to understand.

The book has many parts. There are 31 chapters that explain the main ideas of Mohism. Some chapters are very old and talk about logic, which means they help us understand how to think clearly and make good arguments. There are also stories about Mozi, the people who followed his ideas, and information about how to build strong defenses and use tools for protection. These parts give us a look at how people lived and fought long ago in China.

Even though the Mohist school of thinking didn’t stay popular after the 3rd century BC, the Mozi book is still important today. Sadly, many parts of the original book were lost over time. Out of the 71 chapters that were first written, 18 are missing, and some others are hard to read because pieces are missing. Still, the book helps us learn about ancient Chinese thoughts and ways of life.

Authorship

Main article: Mozi

The Mozi and the school of Mohism are named after Mo Di, known as "Mozi" (Mandarin Chinese: Mòzǐ 墨子), meaning "Master Mo". Mozi lived in the 5th century BC, and little is known about him for certain. He is thought to have come from the State of Lu, though some say the State of Song. He traveled among the Warring States trying to convince rulers to make peace.

Mozi may have come from a simple background, and some parts of the book hint that he might have been a skilled worker, like a carpenter. Scholars think the early chapters of the Mozi talk about important ideas such as "Rejecting Fatalism", "Heaven's Will", and "Universal Love". Later parts of the book focus on logic, showing how Mozi valued clear thinking and understanding.

Content

The Mozi is an ancient Chinese book with 71 chapters, but many of them have been lost or damaged over time. It is divided into six main sections. The first section, chapters 1–7, includes essays and talks added later that don’t quite fit with the rest of the book.

The second section, chapters 8–37, makes up the core ideas of the book and explains the main teachings of Mozi’s philosophy. The third section, chapters 38–39, argues against some ideas of Confucianism. The fourth section, chapters 40–45, called the "Dialectical Chapters," explores topics like logic, epistemology, ethics, geometry, optics, and mechanics, though these parts are hard to understand because the text is damaged. The fifth section, chapters 46–51, shares stories and talks about Mozi and his followers. The final section, chapters 52–71, the "Military Chapters," gives advice on defending cities and is also damaged.

Selected translations

Translating the Mozi has been challenging because some parts of the book are damaged. The first translation into a Western language, done by Alfred Forke in German in 1922, had many mistakes, especially in certain chapters. Accurate translations of these parts only appeared in the late 20th century.

Some important translations include:

• Burton Watson (1963), Mo Tzu: Basic Writings
• A. C. Graham (1978), Later Mohist Logic, Ethics, and Science
• Ian Johnston (2010), The Mozi: A Complete Translation
• Chris Fraser (2020), The Essential Mòzǐ: Ethical, Political, and Dialectical Writings

There are also many translations of the Mozi in modern Chinese and Japanese.