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Mozi's Moral Theory: Breaking the Hermeneutical Stalemate
- Philosophy East and West
- University of Hawai'i Press
- Volume 61, Number 2, April 2011
- pp. 347-364
- 10.1353/pew.2011.0021
- Article
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The most significant contemporary controversy surrounding the thought of Mozi is the debate over his ultimate criterion of right action—whether he should be interpreted as a divine-will theorist or as a utilitarian. It is possible, at least on the surface, to interpret him either way. I consider arguments designed to break this hermeneutical stalemate and argue that the divine-will interpretation comes out ahead. I conclude by responding to an argument by Xiufen Lu that the debate is misguided.