Chinese, 500bc-0bc, Politics, Love Craig Haslam Chinese, 500bc-0bc, Politics, Love Craig Haslam

If the rulers sincerely desire the empire to be wealthy and dislike to have it poor, desire to have it orderly and dislike to have it chaotic, they should bring about universal love and mutual aid. This is the way of the sage-kings and the way to order for the world, and it should not be neglected.

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Mo Zi

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Chinese, 500bc-0bc, Politics, Love Craig Haslam Chinese, 500bc-0bc, Politics, Love Craig Haslam

When we try to develop and procure benefits for the world with universal love as our standard, then attentive ears and keen eyes will respond in service to one another, then limbs will be strengthened to work for one another, and those who know the Tao will untiringly instruct others. Thus the old and those who have neither wife nor children will have the support and supply to spend their old age with, and the young and weak and orphans will have the care and admonition to grow up in. When universal love is adopted as the standard, then such are the consequent benefits. It is incomprehensible, then, why people should object to universal love when they hear it.

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Mo Zi

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Chinese, 500bc-0bc, Politics, Love Craig Haslam Chinese, 500bc-0bc, Politics, Love Craig Haslam

Now, as to universal love and mutual aid, they are beneficial and easy beyond a doubt. It seems to me that the only trouble is that there is no superior who encourages it. If there is a superior who encourages it, promoting it with rewards and commendations, threatening its reverse with punishments, I feel people will tend toward universal love and mutual aid like fire tending upward and water downwards — it will be unpreventable in the world.

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Mo Zi

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Chinese, 500bc-0bc, Politics, Love Craig Haslam Chinese, 500bc-0bc, Politics, Love Craig Haslam

Universal love is really the way of the sage-kings. It is what gives peace to the rulers and sustenance to the people. The gentleman would do well to understand and practise universal love; then he would be gracious as a ruler, loyal as a minister, affectionate as a father, filial as a son, courteous as an elder brother, and respectful as a younger brother.

So, if the gentleman desires to be a gracious ruler, a loyal minister, an affectionate father, a filial son, a courteous elder brother, and a respectful younger brother, universal love must be practised. It is the way of the sage-kings and the great blessing of the people.

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Mo Zi

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Chinese, 500bc-0bc, Politics, Love Craig Haslam Chinese, 500bc-0bc, Politics, Love Craig Haslam

If every one in the world will love universally; states not attacking one another; houses not disturbing one another; thieves and robbers becoming extinct; emperor and ministers, fathers and sons, all being affectionate and filial — if all this comes to pass the world will be orderly.

Therefore, how can the wise man who has charge of governing the empire fail to restrain hate and encourage love?

So, when there is universal love in the world it will be orderly, and when there is mutual hate in the world it will be disorderly.

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Mo Zi

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