Home Categories Chinese history Yi Zhongtian History of China 06·A hundred schools of thought contend

Chapter 7 Chapter 2 Which society is better

Ten days and ten nights later, Mozi arrived in Yingdu. Ying, in present-day Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, is the capital of Chu State.Mozi traveled all the way to Yingdu to save Song.At that time, Gongshu Pan (also known as Gongshu Pan, Gongshuban, and Luban), a famous craftsman of the State of Lu, made a siege tool for the State of Chu—a cloud ladder, which the Chu people planned to use to attack the State of Song.When Mozi heard about it, he set off immediately to see Gongshu Pan. Gongshu cross-examination: What advice do you have, sir? Mozi said: Someone in the north insulted me, and I want to ask my husband to do him.

Gongshupan was not happy. Mozi said: I would like to pay two hundred taels of gold. Gongshupan was even more unhappy.He pulled his face down and said righteously: I abide by justice and never kill people indiscriminately. Mozi said: "Since you never kill people, it's easy to say."I heard that Mr. invented the cloud ladder and wanted to help Chu State attack Song State. May I ask what crime Song State has?Chu State has more land, but less people.It is not wise to sacrifice what is insufficient to fight for what is excess.It is not kindness to attack a country that is innocent.Knowing this truth, but not fighting for it, cannot be regarded as loyalty.Arguing that you can't achieve your goal is not considered strong.To kill a lot of people without killing a few people is not reasonable.

Gongshupan had nothing to say. So Mozi asked Gongshu Pan to take him to see the king of Chu. Mozi said: Now there is a man who has a luxury car, but wants to steal the old car from the neighbor; who has silk and satin, but wants to steal the old clothes from the neighbor; of rice bran distiller's grains.Excuse me, who is this? The king of Chu said: "Patient."This man has a theft disease! Mozi said: Now, the state of Chu has everything you need, and the state of Song is poor and small, but you are going to attack others. What is the difference between this patient and that patient?

The king of Chu didn't say anything. However, neither King Chu nor Gongshu Pan wanted to give up.Mozi took off his belt to build a city, and used small pieces of wood as instruments to fight against Gongshu Pan.Gongshu demonstrates siege, Mozi demonstrates defense.After several rounds, Gongshu's skills were poor, while Mozi's moves were more than enough. The public loser said: I still have a way to deal with you, but I won't say it. Mozi said: I know what my master is going to do to me, and I won't say anything. The king of Chu was surprised and asked what was going on.

Mozi said: Mr. Gongshu's method is nothing more than killing his subjects.He thought that in that way, Song would be able to attack.It's a pity that three hundred people, including Qin Huali, the minister's disciple, have mastered the methods and equipment of the minister, and are stationed on the Song City, waiting for the Chu army to come and die. When the king of Chu heard this, he had no choice but to give up attacking Song. He successfully rescued Mozi from the state of Song and walked home wearing straw sandals.When passing through Songcheng, it rained heavily.Mozi wanted to enter the city to avoid the rain, but those who guarded the city would not let him in.It can be seen that at least Mozi was not a doctor of the Song Dynasty at this time, and the people of the Song Dynasty did not know him.His saving Song was of course not at the request of Song.

So why is he bothering with this business? For fairness and justice. Fairness and justice are Mozi's lifelong pursuit, and they are also the core values ​​of the Mohist school.And in their view, the biggest problem in society at that time was the lack of fairness and justice. Mozi said, if a person sneaks into other people's orchards to steal peaches and plums, everyone will say he is wrong, and the government will also hold him accountable, because he gets something for nothing and benefits himself at the expense of others.Stealing chickens and dogs is a serious crime; stealing cattle and horses is even more serious.If you kill people and set fire to them, it is a heinous crime.

This is called fairness and justice. Therefore, killing one person is a felony; killing ten people is a ten felony; killing a hundred people is a hundred felonies.So, what about killing 10,000 people?Should there be 10,000 felonies? No, not guilty. Not only innocent, but also meritorious, because these ten thousand people were killed on the battlefield.So people say that this is called heroic deeds, and it is called winning glory for the country, regardless of the nature of the war. So, in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, is there a just war?No, they are all wars of aggression.Is there any difference between launching a war of aggression and looting houses?No.It's just that because of the open fire, it can only be more shameless.Does this shameless act become just because it uses the name of the country?

What's even more shameless is that the princes not only invaded other countries, slaughtered their people, and plundered their property, but also "written on bamboo and silk, engraved on gold and stone, thought it was inscribed on bells and tripods", and showed off to future generations.So let me ask you, is it okay for a commoner to attack his neighbors, kill people, rob food and loot things, and then record it in the record, showing off "I rob more than anyone else?" Obviously not. The same thing can be done by princes and nobles, but not by ordinary people; or if princes do it, it is called "heroic deeds", and if ordinary people do it, it is called "doing evil".Where in the world is there such a reason?

What is this indicating?It shows that there is no fairness and justice in this society at all! The reason why there is no fairness and justice is that there is no love; and the only way to save the world is universal love.Universal love means "love each other and benefit each other".Concurrent means to treat people equally; hand in means to come and go.The former talks about equality, while the latter talks about mutual benefit.Equality is fairness, and mutual benefit is justice.Does fairness and justice depend on universal love and can only be realized by universal love? Mozi thinks so.

So, is love not enough? no.Because there is no difference in universal love, but there is a difference in benevolence.Where there are differences, there will be grades; if there are unequals, it will be difficult to be fair.How can there be justice without fairness?As a result, they can only be full of benevolence, righteousness and morality, full of male robbers and female prostitutes. Therefore, Mozi unswervingly held up the banner of universal love.There are eight big characters written on this banner: mutual love and mutual benefit, fairness and justice. Excuse me, what kind of thinking is this?

socialism. Then let's find out.
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