Mozi citations

Mozi, appelé encore Mö-tseu ou Möti , de son vrai nom Mo Di , est un philosophe chinois qui vécut de 479 à 392 av. J.-C. pendant les périodes des Printemps et des Automnes et des Royaumes combattants.

Ses écrits fournissent peu de renseignements sur le personnage bien que certaines anecdotes semblent laisser penser qu'il était originaire d'un milieu d'artisans. Cette extraction relativement modeste a conduit certains historiens marxistes à le considérer comme un penseur prolétarien en opposition aux penseurs confucéens liés à la noblesse.

Il commencera par adhérer au confucianisme avant de s'en démarquer significativement et de créer sa propre école de pensée dont les thèses se révèleront être une remise en cause à la fois des enseignements confucianiste et taoïste. Loin de se borner à la seule recherche doctrinale, cette école va s'organiser au cours des IIIe et IVe siècles av. J.-C. en un mouvement militaro-religieux, composé de redresseurs de torts et d'ardents défenseurs de la paix par la création de brigades initiées aux arts martiaux, ayant uniquement un but d'interposition. On peut aussi remarquer un antimilitarisme aigu dans son discours certainement lié à la situation de la Chine à ce moment de son histoire .

« Le plus glorieux des conquérants responsable de quantité de morts n'est qu'un meurtrier incomparablement plus criminel que l'assassin d'un seul homme. » Wikipedia  

✵ 470 av. J.-C. – 391 av. J.-C.
Mozi: 23   citations 0   J'aime

Mozi: Citations en anglais

“If one does not preserve the learned in a state he will be injuring the state”

Book 1; Befriending the Learned
Variant translation: To enter upon rulership of a country but not preserve its scholars will result in the downfall of the country. To see the worthy but not hasten to them will make the country's ruler less able to perform his duties. To the unworthy is due no attention. The ignorant should remain without inclusion in the state's affairs. To impede the virtuous and neglect the scholarly and still maintain the survival of the state has yet to be, indeed.
Mozi
Contexte: If one does not preserve the learned in a state he will be injuring the state; if one is not zealous (to recommend) the virtuous upon seeing one, he will be neglecting the ruler. Enthusiasm is to be shown only to the virtuous, and plans for the country are only to be shared with the learned. Few are those, who, neglecting the virtuous and slighting the learned, could still maintain the existence of their countries.

“All states in the world, large or small, are cities of Heaven, and all people, young or old, honourable or humble, are its subjects”

Book 1; On the necessity of standards
Mozi
Contexte: All states in the world, large or small, are cities of Heaven, and all people, young or old, honourable or humble, are its subjects; for they all graze oxen and sheep, feed dogs and pigs, and prepare clean wine and cakes to sacrifice to Heaven. Does this not mean that Heaven claims all and accepts offerings from all? Since Heaven does claim all and accepts offerings from all, what then can make us say that it does not desire men to love and benefit one another? Hence those who love and benefit others Heaven will bless. Those who hate and harm others Heaven will curse, for it is said that he who murders the innocent will be visited by misfortune. How else can we explain the fact that men, murdering each other, will be cursed by Heaven? Thus we are certain that Heaven desires to have men love and benefit one another and abominates to have them hate and harm one another

“Now, as to universal love and mutual aid, they are beneficial and easy beyond a doubt. It seems to me that the only trouble is that there is no superior who encourages it.”

Book 4; Universal Love III
Mozi
Contexte: Now, as to universal love and mutual aid, they are beneficial and easy beyond a doubt. It seems to me that the only trouble is that there is no superior who encourages it. If there is a superior who encourages it, promoting it with rewards and commendations, threatening its reverse with punishments, I feel people will tend toward universal love and mutual aid like fire tending upward and water downwards — it will be unpreventable in the world.

“All the gentlemen of the world know that they should condemn these things, calling them unrighteous. But when it comes to the great unrighteousness of attacking states, they do not know that they should condemn it. On the contrary, they applaud it, calling it righteous.”

Book 5: Condemnation of Offensive War I
Mozi
Contexte: The murder of one person is called unrighteous and incurs one death penalty. Following this argument, the murder of ten persons will be ten times as unrighteous and there should be ten death penalties; the murder of a hundred persons will be a hundred times as unrighteous and there should be a hundred death penalties. All the gentlemen of the world know that they should condemn these things, calling them unrighteous. But when it comes to the great unrighteousness of attacking states, they do not know that they should condemn it. On the contrary, they applaud it, calling it righteous.

“The purpose of the magnanimous is to be found in procuring benefits for the world and eliminating its calamities.”

Book 4; Universal Love II
Mozi
Contexte: The purpose of the magnanimous is to be found in procuring benefits for the world and eliminating its calamities. … Mutual attacks among states, mutual usurpation among houses, mutual injuries among individuals; the lack of grace and loyalty between ruler and ruled, the lack of affection and filial piety between father and son, the lack of harmony between elder and younger brothers — these are the major calamities in the world.

“Universal love is really the way of the sage-kings. It is what gives peace to the rulers and sustenance to the people.”

Book 4; Universal Love III
Mozi
Contexte: Universal love is really the way of the sage-kings. It is what gives peace to the rulers and sustenance to the people. The gentleman would do well to understand and practise universal love; then he would be gracious as a ruler, loyal as a minister, affectionate as a father, filial as a son, courteous as an elder brother, and respectful as a younger brother. So, if the gentleman desires to be a gracious ruler, a loyal minister, an affectionate father, a filial son, a courteous elder brother, and a respectful younger brother, universal love must be practised. It is the way of the sage-kings and the great blessing of the people.

“I feel people will tend toward universal love and mutual aid like fire tending upward and water downwards — it will be unpreventable in the world.”

Book 4; Universal Love III
Mozi
Contexte: Now, as to universal love and mutual aid, they are beneficial and easy beyond a doubt. It seems to me that the only trouble is that there is no superior who encourages it. If there is a superior who encourages it, promoting it with rewards and commendations, threatening its reverse with punishments, I feel people will tend toward universal love and mutual aid like fire tending upward and water downwards — it will be unpreventable in the world.

“Few are those, who, neglecting the virtuous and slighting the learned, could still maintain the existence of their countries.”

Book 1; Befriending the Learned
Variant translation: To enter upon rulership of a country but not preserve its scholars will result in the downfall of the country. To see the worthy but not hasten to them will make the country's ruler less able to perform his duties. To the unworthy is due no attention. The ignorant should remain without inclusion in the state's affairs. To impede the virtuous and neglect the scholarly and still maintain the survival of the state has yet to be, indeed.
Mozi
Contexte: If one does not preserve the learned in a state he will be injuring the state; if one is not zealous (to recommend) the virtuous upon seeing one, he will be neglecting the ruler. Enthusiasm is to be shown only to the virtuous, and plans for the country are only to be shared with the learned. Few are those, who, neglecting the virtuous and slighting the learned, could still maintain the existence of their countries.

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