Chapter 8 2. Mohist socialism

The rational society advocated by Mozi is a paradise for laborers. Like most socialists, Mozi highly affirmed the value and significance of labor.Mozi said that animals do not need men to plow and women to weave, because feathers are clothes, hoofs and claws are shoes, and aquatic plants are food.Humans, however, "Those who rely on their strength live, those who do not rely on their strength do not live", and they cannot eat without working. Labor is the essential difference between humans and animals. Based on this, the principle of distribution of social wealth should be that those who work hard get more, those who don't work get nothing, those who work hard get more, and those who work less get less.However, the actual situation is that those who occupy the most social resources and wealth often contribute the least or even no effort at all. It is called "not getting what you earn, and not getting what you get." Mozi called it "rich without reason".

This is very unreasonable and must be reformed. Mozi's plan is to reform the distribution system and the personnel system, so that people can live on their own, distribute according to their work, each contributes to his ability, and has equal opportunities. First of all, everyone has to work and make contributions.Labor includes physical labor and mental labor, and there is a division of labor in contribution, which is called "division". For example, the king is in politics, the scholar is an assistant, the farmer is planting crops, and the woman is doing weaving.These are all labor, and they all have reasons to be entitled to receive corresponding remuneration according to the contribution.This is self-reliance and distribution according to work.

Secondly, since people are paid according to their work, then, in order to reflect fairness, the society should also ensure that everyone "does what they can do" so that everyone's talents can be fully utilized.It's all about doing what you can. Third, since everyone contributes according to his ability to distribute according to his work, then the management of society should be "promote those who are capable, and demolish those who are incompetent".Even if the status is humble such as farmers, workers, and merchants, as long as they have the ability, they should "higher the nobility of Yu, pay more attention to the salary, let them do their jobs, and cut off their orders."On the contrary, even the flesh and blood relatives of princes and lords are incapable and cannot be officials.In a word, the distinction between high and low must be adjusted according to ability, performance, and contribution, so that "officials are impermanent and people are never base".This is equal opportunity.

There is no doubt that such a social ideal was put forward more than two thousand years ago, and it can be said to be deafening and amazing.Therefore, as soon as it was said, it immediately became popular all over the world, and became one of the two great schools of thought after Confucius, which is as famous as Yang Zhu (see the third chapter of this book for details of Yang Zhu's theory). However, the good times did not last long.Mohism, which was so popular for a while, soon disappeared, and Mozi himself was also forgotten.In Sima Qian's "Historical Records", Mozi's life even has only a few twenty-four characters.

Gai Modi, a doctor of the Song Dynasty, was good at guarding and guarding, and used it for festivals.Or it may be said that when Confucius was merged, or it may be said after that. Yang Zhu was even worse, without a single word. This cannot be simply attributed to the sole respect for Confucianism.In fact, after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the rulers of all dynasties used both Confucianism and Law, and Taoism has always been favored by literati and officials. Therefore, there are not only "external Confucianism and internal law", but also "complementary Confucianism and Taoism".After the Tang Dynasty, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism "the fusion of the three religions" was formed.Only the Mohist thought is beyond redemption and forced to become an "underground party".

Why? Because there are problems with Mozi's doctrine and practice. First of all, there is no basis.Confucianism's claim is well-founded.The system of rites and music established in the Western Zhou Dynasty is the basis of history; the love that everyone has is the basis of human nature.Mozi's claims are based on imagination, and they have no basis and no solution.His whole set of reform plans sound plausible and sound, but none of them can be successful, none of them can be promoted, and none of them can last. Of course it is impossible to succeed, because being a "Mohist socialist" is too hard, too tiring and too difficult: wearing coarse clothes, wearing sandals and wooden clogs, working all day without rest, resulting in no coarse hair on the calf, no fine hair on the calf, not so It cannot be called "Yu Dao", nor can it be regarded as "Mo Zhe".

This is really daunting. That's right, Mozi advocates fairness and justice, which is what we want; advocates human happiness, which is also what we want.However, the fairness and justice he advocated must be realized through hardships and hardships; the happiness of mankind he promised is bitter for most people.Perhaps, in Mozi's view, as long as everyone lives a hard life equally, it is happiness.If, like him, the leader takes the lead in living a difficult life, all living beings should rejoice and be grateful.Unfortunately, he was wrong.The desire of the people is not only equality, but also a good life.Everyone is in rags and tattered clothes, and the meals are simple and light, and they work hard every day, and entertainment activities are not allowed. No one has ever imagined such a day.

No wonder the Zhuangzi School would say that the Mohist "anti-world heart".To go against the will of the world is to go against the common sense of human beings.Therefore, "If you teach people in this way, you may not love others; if you use this to yourself, you will definitely not love yourself"; if it is enforced, "the world will be miserable."Even if Mozi himself could carry it out, what a world! So, what is Zhuangzi's claim?

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