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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Kim, B.JH. “Benefit to the World” and “Heaven’s Intent”: The Prospective and Retrospective Aspects of the Mohist Criterion for Rightness. Dao (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11712-024-09933-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11712-024-09933-y