Casual Talk on Mohism

Why do I study Mohism? I compare Mohist thought with Confucian thought and find that Confucianism emphasizes hierarchy, seniority, and superiority, creating a strict class system. This leads those in military power to think, 'I am the boss, you must listen to me.' Such a stance prevents them from discovering the ingenious strategies among hermits and commoners. This hierarchical concept directly blocks the voice of the common people. Therefore, comparing Mohist equality with Confucian hierarchy, Mohism clearly holds the moral high ground. In the later Chinese Civil War, the Communist commanders widely practiced military democracy, while the Nationalist commanders did not. The Nationalist commanders believed that in war, one should only listen to the military commander; practicing military democracy was nonsense. From this, it can be seen that the Nationalist commanders were deeply influenced by Confucianism, while the Communist commanders were influenced by Mohism. Thus, exploring Mohist thought is quite interesting.