During the Warring States period, various schools of thought sprung up, the most influential of which were Confucianism, Legalism, Taoism, and Moism. However, after the unification of the Qin and Han dynasties, the fate of these schools began to change.
Confucianism, with its concept of "governing the country", has become the dominant part of traditional Chinese culture. Despite its poor reputation among the people, Legalism has in fact dominated Chinese politics for more than 2,000 years.
In contrast to Legalism is Taoism, which advocates living in harmony with nature and is respected and loved by the common people, making it an ideal home for hermits.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there was a doctrine that disappeared in the long river of history after a short period of glory, and that was the Mohists. The Mohists are famous for their tricks, and their founder, Mozi, is proficient in craftsmanship and the art of war, and is praised as a knowledgeable and genius.
He once succeeded in making a three-inch piece of wood into a bearing that could carry 300 kilograms, which is the subtlety of Mohist mechanics.
The Mo family was completely destroyed by the royal family during the Warring States Period, and one can't help but wonder what height China's scientific and technological level would have reached if they had not suffered such misfortune.
Why was the Mo family destroyed? This was due to the social turmoil of the Warring States period, which turned people's lives upside down, and new classes - the peasant class and the craftsmen - came into being.
Prior to this, China had always been a slave society, and the classes in the society were mainly divided into two categories: slave owners and slaves, and members of the royal family were the largest slave owners.
The Mohist doctrine originated from the new rise of the peasant class and craftsmen. They have certain financial, material and social resources, and at the same time enjoy freedom, so they advocate equality for all, peace and fraternity.
Their actions are aimed at protecting their own interests and rescuing people in distress. However, after the Qin Dynasty unified the Six Kingdoms, the society changed from a slave society to a feudal society, and the new class represented by the Mohists lost the necessity of existence.
Although peasants and craftsmen still dominated society, they faced repression from the landlord class, making the ideal of an egalitarian society elusive. With the demise of this class, the cultural and academic ideas that served it also lost its basis for survival.
In ancient times, the development of any idea could not be separated from the support and use of the ruling class.
Dynamic Incentive Plan Only when an idea has universal value and can be understood and accepted by the public can it be widely disseminated and promoted in society. Like Legalism, Taoism, and Confucianism, although they have different historical backgrounds and cultural traditions, they all aim to serve the ruling class and maintain its dominance.
And the Mohist ideology, because of what it advocates"Love and non-attack", which advocates that everyone is equal and that everyone has the same power, challenges the hierarchy and authority of feudal society, and therefore does not belong to the ideas of the ruling class.
In feudal society, this idea may be seen as a subversion and threat to the ruling order. However, it is precisely this pursuit of justice and equality that has enabled Mohist thought to be inherited and developed in the long course of history.
The "non-offensive" advocated by the Mohists is actually an anti-war and peaceful ideology, emphasizing the use of peaceful means to solve problems rather than armed conflicts. However, this idea conflicts with the idea of feudal rule and territorial expansion, i.e., how to maintain territory and feudal rule without war?
In addition, the ideas of the Mohists were also suppressed and resisted by the imperial power, because their ideas were contrary to the interests of the imperial power. Therefore, the Mo family eventually came to an end.
The inheritance of Mohist technology has not only had a profound impact in ancient times, but has also left a valuable legacy even in modern times. Take Mozi's rushing car as an example, this is a powerful ** in the Warring States Period, just like an ancient tank.
The chariot consisted of a horse and a cart, and in order to increase its combat capabilities, the horse was equipped with armor, and the body was made of steel, which brought the chariot to a height of 10 meters.
In the concept of the Mohists, the low-level soldiers are responsible for the infrastructure construction, and the high-level soldiers are responsible for the strategic offensive and defense, and this unique military strategy makes the Mohists unique in the military field.
If the Mojia had not been destroyed, perhaps the first tank would have been born in China. In addition, the Mohists had already begun to explore astronomy and geography"Tianxiang"The theory indicates that China will take the lead in the field of astronomy for a long time.
If the Mohists continue to study deeply, China's leading position in science and technology will be even more significant. Imagine how far China's technological development would have been if all this really happened.
Although history does not have so many ifs, we can better understand and avoid repeating mistakes by studying history.