The transformation of Mohism discourse in the Qing dynasty = 清代墨學論述的衍化與轉型

Abstract

This dissertation illustrates how, since the turn of the nineteenth century, Mohism has risen to become a notable school of thought in China. In ancient times, Mohism was seen as dangerously heretical. However, during the late Qing dynasty – while Chinese culture was undergoing drastic changes because of the assault from the Western powers – Mohism was revived and became a valuable philosophy of which late Qing scholars could be proud.

The dissertation is divided into three sections. The first part attempts to provide an in-depth background of academic history; showing that there is a close relationship between Mohism and Confucian orthodoxy. Because the Mozi had not been widely circulated since the middle of the former Han dynasty, many Confucian scholars knew nothing about Mozi (479-381 BE) other than the conventional portrayal of a heterodox thinker who had been harshly criticized by Mencius. The Mozi only became more accessible after the late Ming dynasty due to the annotation of his work and because of commentary from Ming scholars.

Secondly, previous studies have always attributed the emergence of Confucian scholars’ annotations of the Mozi in the middle of the Qing Dynasty to evidential scholarship. This dissertation aims to provide evidence indicating that the intention behind Bi Yuan’s annotation of the Mozi was to acquire military knowledge, rather than using text-critical research to prove Confucian classics. As various layers of the texts were annotated and studied by Qing scholars, Mohism became gradually liberated from Mencian criticism. Furthermore, shi lun (Ten Themes) became the central tenant of Mohism, which differed from the understanding of pre-Qin scholars.

The third part deals with the modern revival of Mohism. It was very common whenever China suffered a political or social crisis, that scholars would generally tend to trace back from the intellectual source in order to seek a solution. As a result of an increasing number of crises, prominent Chinese scholars, as well as public intellectuals, doubted whether Confucianism, the contemporary dominant school, had any real usefulness to society. Mohism, on the other hand, was thought to have profound statecraft connotations, a great deal of scientific knowledge, and be similar in style to Western ideas. However, rather than merely restoring the original Mozi text, nineteenth century scholars constructed a new version of early Mohism. For example, Mohism was used by Chinese reformers and revolutionaries to strengthen the legitimacy of their political beliefs. Additionally, Jian ai (Universal Love) served as an index for scholars to understand the theory of socialism, as well as a tool to combat capitalist exploitation. The reason why Mohism became the dominant intellectual school of thought was because its special character coincided with the social and political context of late Qing China. This dissertation not only aims to grasp the central concerns of modern Chinese intellectual history, but also provide a case study of how the Chinese assimilated Western ideas by means of traditional culture. In short, this dissertation tries to explain the “transformation of traditional scholarship in modern China”.