Mozi (Chinese: 墨子, meaning "Master Mo"), born Mo Di (墨翟), was a Chinese philosopher, logician, engineer, and political strategist who lived during the early Warring States period (475–221 BCE). He founded the school of Mohism , which was a formidable rival to Confucianism and the forerunner to Legalism and Daoism in its influence. Although Mohism largely disappeared as an organized tradition after the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE), Mozi’s ideas on universal love, meritocracy, and utilitarian ethics have seen a major revival in modern scholarship. Life and Historical Context Little is known of Mozi’s origins. Traditional sources suggest he was born in the state of Lu (modern-day Shandong province) — the same region as Confucius — though some argue he came from the neighboring state of Song. Initially, Mozi was said to have studied Confucianism. However, he found its elaborate ritualism, costly funerals, and fatalistic belief in "Heaven’s will" (as interpreted by Confucians) to be impractical. He broke away to form his own school, emphasizing measurable benefit to the people rather than adherence to tradition.

After Mozi’s death, the school split into three factions, each claiming his original texts. The school declined after the Qin unification, which favored Legalism, and the subsequent Han dynasty’s adoption of Confucianism as state orthodoxy. By the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), Mohism was almost extinct. For centuries, Mozi was dismissed by Confucian scholars as a crude utilitarian. However, from the late 19th century onward, Chinese reformers and Western missionaries rediscovered him. Liang Qichao and Hu Shih praised Mozi as a proto-democrat, egalitarian, and man of science. Sun Yat-sen drew on Mozi’s universal love to inspire nationalism.

Mozi was not merely a theorist. He personally traveled among warring states to persuade rulers to abandon aggression. He was also an accomplished engineer and military architect, able to construct siege defenses and outthink enemy generals. A famous story recounts how Mozi convinced the master engineer Gongshu Ban to abandon a siege of the state of Song, by demonstrating his own defensive mechanisms and then revealing that his disciples had already implemented them. Mozi’s thought is organized around three standards of judgment: utility , evidence , and authority . He famously said: "In every case, one must establish standards." His key doctrines are often summarized under ten theses, of which three are most central: 1. Impartial Care (兼爱, jian ai ) Often translated as "universal love" or "inclusive care," jian ai is Mozi’s signature idea. He argued that social disorder arises from partiality — loving one’s own family or state more than others. The solution is to treat all people as one would treat oneself: “Regard other people’s countries as one’s own… regard other people’s families as one’s own.”