Grassroots Activism of Ancient China
Mohism and Nonviolence
Abstract
This book examines Mohism as a movement in early China, focusing on the Mohists’ pursuit of power. Fashioning themselves as grassroots activists, the Mohists hoped to impact the elite by gaining entry in its community and influencing it from within. To create a less violent world, they deployed strategies of persuasion and negotiation but did not discard counterviolence in their dealings with the ruling class. In executing their activism, the Mohists produced knowledge that allowed them to hone their nonviolent strategies as well as to mount armed resistance to aggression. In addition, the Mohists paid significant attention to the issue of personhood, constructing a self-cultivation tradition unsparing in its demands for overcoming human conditions that would impede their performance as activists. This book situates Mohism in the history of nonviolent activism, and in that of negotiation and conflict resolution.
Schlagworte
conflict resolution counterviolence Mohism Mozi Nonviolence ancient China negotiation righteousness- 1–34 Introduction 1–34
- 35–56 Sources and Milieu 35–56
- 91–128 Early China 91–128
- 129–180 The Use of Nonviolence 129–180
- 181–204 Epilogue 181–204
- 205–230 Epilogue 205–230
- 231–236 Postscript 231–236
- 237–270 Bibliography 237–270
- 271–284 Index 271–284
- 285–286 About the Author 285–286