“Benefit to the World” and “Heaven’s Intent”: the prospective and retrospective aspects of the Mohist criterion for rightness
“Benefit to the World” and “Heaven’s Intent”: the prospective and retrospective aspects of the Mohist criterion for rightness
“Benefit to the world” and “Heaven’s intent” are not, as is often assumed, separate criteria for action in Mozi’s 墨子 ethics; they are the same in extension but not intension. When Mozi speaks in terms of “Heaven’s intent,” it is to highlight the criterion’s retrospective orientation and its scope; taking a cue from Heaven’s reactions to past deeds, agents specify the scope of “the world” by reference to the past performance of persons regarding benefit to the world. This diverges from a principle that is often attributed to Mozi, of considering the benefit of all equally without regard for past performance.
Benefit, Consequentialism, Divine command theory, Equal, Heaven, Moral consideration, Mozi, Utilitarianism
Kim, Bradford Jean-Hyuk
70cbecb5-ac2b-4a4a-946e-1ef9bf68c81c
19 March 2024
Kim, Bradford Jean-Hyuk
70cbecb5-ac2b-4a4a-946e-1ef9bf68c81c
Kim, Bradford Jean-Hyuk
(2024)
“Benefit to the World” and “Heaven’s Intent”: the prospective and retrospective aspects of the Mohist criterion for rightness.
Dao.
(doi:10.1007/s11712-024-09933-y).
Abstract
“Benefit to the world” and “Heaven’s intent” are not, as is often assumed, separate criteria for action in Mozi’s 墨子 ethics; they are the same in extension but not intension. When Mozi speaks in terms of “Heaven’s intent,” it is to highlight the criterion’s retrospective orientation and its scope; taking a cue from Heaven’s reactions to past deeds, agents specify the scope of “the world” by reference to the past performance of persons regarding benefit to the world. This diverges from a principle that is often attributed to Mozi, of considering the benefit of all equally without regard for past performance.
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Accepted/In Press date: 29 February 2024
Published date: 19 March 2024
Keywords:
Benefit, Consequentialism, Divine command theory, Equal, Heaven, Moral consideration, Mozi, Utilitarianism
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Local EPrints ID: 489666
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/489666
PURE UUID: 23b97c91-6983-463d-be4b-0126cc287fd2
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Date deposited: 30 Apr 2024 16:44
Last modified: 01 May 2024 02:11
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Author:
Bradford Jean-Hyuk Kim
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