Mozi · Philosophy

Impartial Care: Loving Without Degrees

Mozi&rsquo;s founding doctrine of <em>jian ai</em> - impartial, all-embracing care - which traces the world&rsquo;s disorder to <em>partiality</em> (caring for one&rsquo;s own and not for others) and prescribes concern weighed out equally to everyone, against the Confucian ethic of graded, family-first love.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that Mozi diagnosed disorder as arising from partiality and prescribed jian ai , impartial care, judged by its benefit to all; and that he defended it with the thought experiment of the two officers, where even its opponents entrust their families to the impartial man. Explain the doctrine and the argument…

Leads to Mencius.

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