Debate Headquarters (the four central beliefs)

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

A crucial understanding of the Mohist doctrine is central into organizing our argument in favor of the teachings of Mozi! I found a great resource on line that includes all aspects of the Mohist perspective. The site was created by the Sanford Encyclopedia of Philosphy, so I trust in its content. The link is:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mohism/

The page divides the information into useful categories and includes the 10 Mohist Doctrines. These Doctrines are necessary to comprehend before organizing your proscription for society. They also help because they are based out of the problems within society.

I know we "lose" the real historical debate over the political application of our thought, however this philosophy was the first to really put forth the importance of discourse and reflection before action; let's kick some butt![Edit by="llogan on Apr 15, 12:17:23 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

I have used the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy before but had not been thinking of it for this assignment. I doubt however that I'll have time to plough through the whole thing. Perhaps you could explain some of the more important aspects of this school of thought. I'd be most appreciative.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the foot work. I'll skim through the material prior to class tonight to gain a greater understanding of our stance.

[Anonymous]

Unlike the philosophy of the Mohists, I am not always fond of practices that are considered practical. I like the fact that Confucianism is a human-centered philosophy, where people who are willing to work on themselves are valued. I guess like the Confusionists I like the fact that through education and following rules people can learn to better themselves spiritually. [Edit by="mdipaola on Jul 22, 8:18:11 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

When we were supposed to have the debate, I was assigned Daoism as a philosophy. I chose this beacuse one of the poets that I teach in my Humanities classes is Du Fu. He was heavily influenced by Confucianism and Daoism.

As I looked at the philosophies more, I found myself gravitating towards Mohism. I like the idea of people looking out for each other. I think that one of the biggest problems in our society is that too many people have the "every man for himself" mentality. I don't think that the world should become Socialist, but I feel that it is very important that we consider others as we walk through life. What is more human than having compassion and empathy for others?

[Anonymous]

I was initially attracted to Mohism as soon as I learned of its belief in universality. I feel that a little more of the "what's good for everybody" mentality can go a long way considering our current social and political situation. I will be teaching 10th grade English this year which is taken consecutively with Modern Civics. I think it will be interesting and possible to use the 4 primary ancient Chinese philosophies to either front-load, or even compare and contrast with how societies and governments have developed by following, deviating from, and/or modifying each.

Let me know if anyone already has some plans developed along this line.

[Anonymous]

I agree about liking Confucianism. Being a military brat instilled in me: love of country, military/government rules, achieve your best in your educational studies, and always respect those in authority. This is natural for me and it wasn't until I tried a traditional Buddhist religious path that I realized that I did not have the discipline for Buddhist philosophy. Taoism appeals to me, as I love nature, but I am the type of girl who would rather have room service over a camp out!

[Anonymous]

I agree with you about the pull of Taoism. It just seems like in this chaotic world that the past of least resistance and working with the organic flow of nature seem to be relevant, especially to the challenges facing the world today. When looking into Taoism, I think that the guiding principle of trying to work with nature and experience the world from a naturalist perspective seem to fit well into my life. When I look out (and in) to the world that we live in today, I see a pressing issue with poverty, natural disasters exascerbated by global warming (or disturbance is you listen to scientist Jim Nelson), and water rights and conflicts. The Taoist perspective offers a opposing viewpoint to the dominant media and the consumerism plaguing the globe.

I found an interesting article through the SPICE website, not on Taoism, but on water issues in China, and I am attaching it to this post.

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