Chapter 4 4. Mozi: don't love benevolence, but love both

The first one to stand up against Confucianism was Mozi. Mozi is the founder of the Mohist school.Like Confucius, he also believed that the reason why the world went wrong was because there was no love.Therefore, he has three points in common with Confucius: the world can be saved, and the medicine for saving the world is love, and one should take saving the world as one's own responsibility.This is the difference between Mohism, Taoism and Legalism. However, Mozi opposed benevolence and love, and also opposed ritual and music. In the eyes of Mozi and the Mohist school, Confucianism is nothing more than charlatans, while rituals and music are hypocritical and boring.For example, the etiquette system stipulates that if the meat is not cut in a proper way, you cannot eat it, which is called "if the cut is not correct, you will not eat it";These are unreasonable, but they are the ideas that Confucius and the others tried their best to promote.

So, can Confucianism do these red tapes by itself? can't do it. Mozi said that when Confucius traveled around the world and was trapped between Chen and Cai, Zilu steamed a piglet for him, and he ate it without asking where it came from.Zilu stripped off other people's clothes to exchange for wine, and he drank without asking where it came from.Later, when he returned to the state of Lu, he "did not eat if he was not cut properly, and did not sit if he was not seated properly", acting like a gentleman.Zilu asked him why the front and the back were different, but Kong Qiu actually said that he was seeking for survival then, but now for righteousness!

Well!Is there anything more treacherous and hypocritical than taking things when you are hungry, and pretending when you are full? of course not. The question is, is this story credible? Unreliable.It was even mostly made up by Mozi's students to mock Confucianism.But representing Mozi's thoughts, there is no problem. In fact, Mozi spared no effort in attacking Confucianism. The "Fei Yue", "Fei Ming" and "Fei Confucianism" in "Mozi" can be called Mozi's "Three Criticisms"-the criticism of ritual and music, the criticism of destiny, and the criticism of Confucianism.But what Mozi opposed the most was benevolence.

strangeness!Didn’t Mozi advocate saving the world with love?If not charity, what does he want? And love. Is there a difference between benevolence and universal love? Have. The difference is that the starting point of benevolence is family affection, that is, the inherent and self-evident love between parents and children.Then compare your heart with your heart, from one thing to another, from self to others, from loving parents and children, to elders and fellow villagers, to Chinese people, to barbarian Rongdi.Finally, fill the world with love. Obviously, there are priorities and levels.

Universal love is the opposite, advocating love regardless of men, women, old and young, closeness, distance, high and low, and equal love, similar to the fraternity of Westerners.However, Westerners talk about fraternity because they have God and faith.The origin of Mozi's unanimous love is unknown.But in short, there is a difference between benevolence and love, but there is no difference between universal love. So, universal love and benevolence, which one is right? This requires proof. Therefore, the Mohists assume that a Confucian scholar named Wu Mazi made a declaration: I love my neighbors more than my distant countries, my own country more than my neighbors, my fellow countrymen more than my fellow countrymen, my family members more than my fellow countrymen, and my parents more than my family members.Although this statement may not have been explicitly stated, it is in line with the principle of benevolence.

So what is the next logical conclusion? Love yourself more than you love your parents. Of course, this can never be Confucianism's proposition, but this logical reasoning is tenable.Even the Confucians themselves may never be able to explain why they should "love their parents more than their clan members" but not "love themselves more than their parents".This is the crux of the doctrine of benevolence. What's more terrible is that the Mohists started from "love yourself more than loving your parents" and came to a conclusion for Wumazi: I can only benefit myself at the expense of others, and it is impossible to sacrifice myself for others.

So Mozi asked: Mr. Do you intend to hide your doctrines in your heart, or are you planning to tell others? Wumazi said, "Why hide it?"Of course tell others. Mozi said: Well, you are dead. how do I say this? Mozi’s logical reasoning is as follows—— After your doctrine is announced, people's attitudes are nothing more than two kinds of approval and opposition.A person who agrees will do what you say, and kill you for his own benefit, because you are someone else to him.Therefore, if one person agrees with your doctrine, one person will kill you; if ten people agree with it, ten people will kill you; if everyone in the world agrees, everyone in the world will kill you.

What about those who oppose it?They will think that you are deceiving the public with your deceitful words, and they will also kill you.Therefore, if one person opposes your doctrine, one person will come to kill you; if ten people oppose it, ten people will come to kill it; Well!Those who agree will also kill you, and those who oppose will also kill you. Are you dead? Wumazi was speechless. This is of course another story made up by Mozi's students.But the student's story is so well made, the logic of the husband may be even stronger.In fact, even Mencius, who was as good at eloquence as he was, debated with a believer of the Mohist school and could only ask weakly: Do you really believe that you can love your neighbor's children as much as you love your brother's children?

However, Mencius' weak question has the power of a thunderbolt.In fact, the biggest difference between Confucianism and Mohism is that benevolence and love are water with a source, while universal love is a tree without roots.Mozi has never been able to make it clear why we should love everyone equally without distinction.Yes, why? On the contrary, although Confucian benevolence has many problems, it is based on human nature and based on human nature.It is not without reason that the Mohism plummeted and the Confucianism finally won. However, for the struggle for salvation, the important thing is not how to save, but whether to save.In fact, some people do not advocate rescue.In his view, the world is not saved at all, and it should not be saved.Even if you really want to save, what is useful is not benevolence or universal love, but not love.

This person is Zhuangzi.

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