Mò Dí 墨翟 (c. 470–391 BCE)

better known as Mòzǐ (‘Master Mò’), was the founder of the Mohist movement. Early sources portray him as opposed to the excess and greed of kings and rú scholars alike, and as an advocate of jiān’ài(‘inclusive care’), a doctrine of radical impartiality in social relations and public policy. He was the leader of a dedicated band of followers, the mòjiā, who actively opposed aggressive warfare, even to the extent of designing and deploying of defensive machines. His philosophy is recorded by his followers in the book Mòzǐ, which includes the Mòjīng. Generally regarded as the work of the Later Mohists (hòuqī mòjiā) rather than Mò Dí himself, the Mòjīng preserves a dialectical tradition developed within the intellectual movement he founded.