About the author

Mozi, also known as Mo Di, was an important thinker and the founder of the Mohist school in the pre-Qin period. Publicly available information about his life, including dates of birth and death and nationality, is limited; what is known today comes mainly from the book Mozi and scattered references in pre-Qin texts. The library holds one work by him, the book titled Mozi, which sets out doctrines such as universal love, opposition to aggressive war, honoring the worthy, and frugality, and also includes discussions of logic, defensive warfare, and engineering. Its language is plain and its arguments rigorous, making frequent use of analogies and examples in a practical and debating style. Mohist thought was widely influential during the Warring States period and was ranked alongside Confucianism as a prominent school. Although it later declined, its ideas of equality and peace and its concern for people's livelihood remain important for the study of ancient Chinese philosophy and intellectual history, and repay close reading of the original text.

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Publishers

Shanghai Classics Publishing HouseZhonghua Book Company