Master Mo and Mencius Flashcards
Human nature (Mencius)
People are born with goodness but its their environment that destroys it
We need to nourish the seeds of our sprouts of people for them to grasp the sprouts and practice them.
State of Nature (Mo)
Mozi: Before gov and laws, individuals had their own norms, which always conflicted with each other:-; if rulers commit false, ppl have the right to protest (not tell the ruler what to do).
Impartial consequentialism - Mozi
Impartiality: care for everyone equally, no gradations (unlike Confucius)
Consequentialism: action is good or bad depending on the consequences it produces.
Heaven and consequentialism + differences from unilitarianism
Aim of Heaven = promote prosperity + social order
Difference: Utilitarianism promotes pleasure when Mohists say its are not good
(Refuses rituals and traditions = waste of time, people have better things to do).
Confucius + his thinkings
- MAIN + first founder of Chinese philosophy
- Care with gradations = everyone cannot be loved the same way (loving your friend is not like loving your dad - assuming good relationships).
- Emphasised rituals and traditions: we become better people with our traditions as we become more flexible and break our routines.
Divisions of states in China during the Zhou Dynasty + importance
- Period when philosophers came about, attempt to influence rulers to gain support.
Mandate of Heaven
- Philosophical and political thought that Heaven grants the right to rule based on how virtuous the ruler is.
- A ruler must be virtuous and ensure harmony in society to be able to rule.
- Signs of a lost mandate (that grant) includes chaos and instability.
Virtuous ruler - Confucius focused
- A ruler that has: kindness, benevolence = caring for the people.
- He must persuade not coerce
- Acts paternalistic for the Chinese
Mozi (2 things)
- Founder of Mohism
- An alternative to Confucianism)
Impartiality - Mozi
Definition: care for everyone equally (unlike Confucius)
Mencius: Social causation (sprouts - 4)
Four virtues based on our emotions:
1. compassion = sprout of benevolence (natural empathy towards others)
2. disdain = sprout of righteousness (sense of justice)
3. respect = sprout of propriety
4. heart of approval or not = sprout of wisdom (having good jugement of others).
Mencius (him)
- Virtue does no good for the World
- World is unstable
- If people focus on being righteous = good.
