MOISM, THE RELIGION OF MO-ZI (ca. 471-391 B.C.

)
A near contemporary of Confucius, Mo-zi (wose name in te !a"e-#i$es system is spe$$e" Mo-tzu),
remains an eni%matic fi%ure in te re$i%ious istory of Cina. &itt$e is 'nown a(out im e)cept tat e
foun"e" te mo*ement tat (ears is name. But te mystery is not "ue mere$y to a $ac' of information.
+e mo*ement Mo-zi foun"e" seems so "iametrica$$y opposite to Confucianism, an" in"ee" to te *ery

cu$tura$ an" re$i%ious patterns "istincti*e to Cina, tat its *ery e)istence an" power in ,ou times seem
impossi($e to un"erstan".
Moism is peraps (est un"erstoo" as a mo*ement of te upper strata of te peasant an" wor'in%
c$asses. -t %rew on wat $ater (ecame e$ements of fo$' an" popu$ar re$i%ion, especia$$y (y insistin% tat
+ian (.ea*en) was a persona$ "eity wo watce" o*er te affairs of uman (ein%s an" mete" out
rewar"s an" punisments trou% $esser spiritua$ (ein%s wose srines an" a$tars "otte" te Cinese
$an"scape. Mo-zi/s curious acceptance of a ea*en$y ierarcy, coup$e" wit is a"amant re0ection of an
eart$y ierarcy, appea$e" to tose wit $itt$e socia$ presti%e, wor$"$y power, an" wea$t.
+e most stri'in%$y un-Confucian "octrine of tis stemme" from teir re0ection of e$itist *a$ues an"
teir assertion of te "octrine of uni*ersa$ $o*e. +e on$y $aw tat was to %o*ern uman interaction was
uni*ersa$ a$truism. 1eop$e were to treat oter peop$e as tey wou$" treat temse$*es, an" tey were to
ceris oter fami$ies an" oter states as if tey were teir own. +eir rewar" wou$" (e prosperity an"
peace, for .ea*en wou$" enric tose !o practice" tis way of $ife. +us te system of Moism mi%t (e
"escri(e" as one of en$i%tene" se$f-interest, presi"e" o*er (y a stern (ut (ene*o$ent %o", as tis statement from
a sur*i*in% wor' of Mo-zi in"icates2
.ow "o we 'now tat .ea*en wants ri%teousness an" "is$i'es unri%teousness3 - say2 !it
ri%teousness te wor$" $i*es an" witout ri%teousness te wor$" "ies, wit it te wor$"
(ecomes ric an" witout it te wor$" (ecomes poor, wit it te wor$" (ecomes or"er$y an"
witout it te wor$" (ecomes caotic.
-n its empasis on compassion an" a$truistic $o*e, Moism resem($es te teacin% of 4esus, especia$$y te
5ermon on te Mount. But peraps (ecause Mo-zi/s teacin% was incompati($e wit te Cinese spirit or
(ecause it fai$e" to capture any en"urin% a$$e%iance amon% te e"ucate" an" powerfu$, Moism cease" to e)ist (y
te c$ose of te ,ou perio".
5ource2 6e$i%ions of Asia 5econ" 7"ition (8enton, .ein, 6eyno$"s, Mi$$er, 9ie$sen) pa%es :;<-:;9