Mo Tzu and the foundations of morality

Journal of Chinese Philosophy

Volumn 26, Issue 1, 1999, Pages 37-48

  Soles, David E ^a  

^a WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 60950476425     PISSN: 03018121     EISSN: 15406253     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6253.1999.tb00531.x     Document Type: Article

References (7)

1. Dennis M. Ahren, "Is Mo Tzu a Utilitarian?", Journal of Chinese Philosophy, 1976, pp. 185-193.
2. Dirck Vorenkamp, "Another Look at Utilitarianism in Mo-Tzu's Thought", Journal of Chinese Philosophy, 1992, p. 431.
3. Mo Tzu, translated and edited by Burton Watson in Basic Writings of Mo Tzu, Hsun Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1963), pp. 79-80.
4. A failure to distinguish between an analysis of '-is right' and a test of right has engendered much of the confusion surrounding the interpretation of Mo Tzu's ethics. Though often missed., the distinction is quite straightforward. An analysis of '-is right" provides a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for being right while a test of right is a reliable indicator that something is right To use a nonethical example, Descartes' analysis of '-is a mind' maintains that a mind is a nonphysical substance whose whole essence is to think, being a nonphysical thinking being is a necessary and sufficient condition for being a mind; rational discourse, however, is the test of whether or not a mind is present For Descartes, since we have no direct access to other minds, we must rely on the existence/nonexistence of rational discourse as evidence for the presence of other minds. Analogously for Mo Tzu, conforming to the will of Heaven is necessary and sufficient for an action being right, this is the analysis of '-is right'; and while we do not always have direct access to Heaven's immediate will, since Heaven does always will what benefits the world, utilitarian considerations provide a test of right in particular circumstances.
5. Watson, Mo Tzu, p. 88.
6. Ahren, op cit., p. 192.
7. Watson, Mo Tzu, op cit., p. 86.