Monday, October 5, 2009

Legalism v.s. Mohism

I'm choosing to compare the two Chinese philosophies Legalism and Mohism. Legalism was led by Xun Zi, who had once been part of Confucianism. He, however, was party to the belief that people are mainly evil, selfish, and sneaky. Mohism, on the other hand, led by Mo Xi, believed that all people needed love. While Legalism discouraged common people from literacy and the intellect, Mohism believed that all should be educated, especially in useful subjects like math or the sciences. Mohisms key principle and belief was universal love. The Mohist leader had to be wise, kind, and care about the people of other countries as much as his own. The Legalist ruler was to rule with an iron fist and use war to strengthen power. The Legalists believed that the law, no matter how unjust people believed it to be, was more important than morality. If the law was to strike every blind person that you come across, the law was more valued than the needs and feelings for the blind person. The Mohists believed in humanity - everyone was equal and a family. A child shouldn't respect the storekeeper any more or less than his teacher or uncle. They avoided gossip, cursing, and war. They tried their hardest to discipline themselves, and fought not for power, but only to protect themselves and others.

1 comment:

  1. A man can get discouraged many times but he is not a failure until he begins to blame somebody else and stops trying. See the link below for more info.


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