Against War III

Mozi said: "Now, what people in the world praise as good deeds—what is the basis for this praise? Is it because they consider such deeds to accord with the benefit of Heaven above, the benefit of ghosts and spirits in the middle, and the benefit of people below, that they praise them? Or is it because they consider them not to accord with the benefit of Heaven above, the benefit of ghosts and spirits in the middle, and the benefit of people below, that they praise them? Even the most foolish person would surely say: 'It is because they consider them to accord with the benefit of Heaven above, the benefit of ghosts and spirits in the middle, and the benefit of people below, that they praise them.' Now, what the world collectively recognizes as righteousness is the standard of the sage kings. Yet today, the feudal lords of the world are mostly devoted to attacking and annexing each other. Thus they have only the name of praising righteousness but do not examine its substance. This is like a blind person who knows the names 'white' and 'black' as well as anyone else but cannot distinguish the actual objects—can this be said to be true discernment? Therefore, the wise of antiquity, when planning for the world, always first carefully considered righteousness before acting. Hence, when they acted, they did not hesitate, swiftly achieved success, obtained what they desired, and conformed to the benefit of Heaven, ghosts, and the people—this is the way of the wise. Thus, the benevolent ones who possessed the world in ancient times invariably opposed the doctrine of great states attacking others, unified the harmony of all under Heaven, took command of the four seas, and then led the people of the world to serve the Supreme Lord, the mountains and rivers, and the ghosts and spirits through agriculture. They brought benefit to many people, and their merit was great. Therefore, Heaven rewarded them, ghosts and spirits enriched them, and people praised them, making them honored as the Son of Heaven and wealthy as the whole world. Their fame stood alongside Heaven and Earth, and it has not been forgotten to this day. This is the way of the wise, and the reason why the former kings possessed the world.

Now, the present dukes and lords, the feudal lords of the world, are not like this. They are sure to select their claw-and-fang warriors, array their chariots and naval forces, and then manufacture strong armor and sharp weapons to attack innocent states. Entering the borders of that state, they cut down its crops, chop down its trees, destroy its city walls to fill up its moats, seize and kill its livestock, burn its ancestral temples, massacre its myriad people, overthrow its old and weak, and carry off its precious vessels. The soldiers advance to fight, saying: 'To die carrying out orders is the highest; to kill many enemies is next; to be wounded oneself is the lowest. How much more so for those who break ranks and retreat—they are guilty and die without pardon!' With these words they terrorize their troops. Thus they annex other states, destroy enemy forces, harm the myriad people, and disrupt the enterprises of the sages. Does one consider this beneficial to Heaven? To take the people born by Heaven and attack the cities of Heaven—this is to slay Heaven's people, destroy the seats of the spirits, overturn the altars of soil and grain, and seize and kill their sacrificial victims—thus it does not accord with the benefit of Heaven above. Does one consider this beneficial to ghosts? To kill these spirits, extinguish the masters of ghosts and spirits, abolish the former kings, harm the myriad people, and scatter the common folk—thus it does not accord with the benefit of ghosts and spirits in the middle. Does one consider this beneficial to people? To kill these people—the benefit to humanity is extremely slight. Moreover, when one calculates the expenses, it is a destruction of the root of life and exhausts the wealth of the people of the world beyond measure—thus it does not accord with the benefit of people below.

Now, the factors that cause armies to be unfavorable to each other are: generals not being brave, soldiers not exerting themselves, weapons not being sharp, training not being thorough, troops not being numerous, soldiers not being harmonious, authority not being imposing, endurance not being strong, combat not being swift, alliances not being firm, determination not being steadfast, and allied feudal lords being suspicious. If allied feudal lords are suspicious, then the enemy will devise schemes and their will will slacken. If these conditions are present on one side, and it engages in war, then the state will lose its normal order, and the people will change their proper occupations. Now, why not observe the argument of those states that delight in attacking? If they raise armies and mobilize the masses, there will surely be several thousand gentlemen and commoners, and the followers will number tens or hundreds of thousands, only then can they set out on campaign. If it lasts long, it will be several years; if it is short, it will be several months. In such a case, the ruler will have no leisure to attend to government, officials will have no leisure to manage their offices, farmers will have no leisure to plow and sow, and women will have no leisure to spin and weave—thus the state will lose its normal order, and the people will change their proper occupations. Moreover, adding to this the exhaustion of chariots and horses, the tents and canopies, the equipment of the three armies, and the gear of the armored soldiers—if one can recover one-fifth of these, that is already a lot. Yet, moreover, adding to this those who flee and scatter along the roads, the roads being long, provisions not being replenished, meals not being taken on time, and servants therefore dying from hunger, cold, thirst, and disease, rolling into ditches and gullies—these are beyond counting. This is not beneficial to people, and the harm to the world is great. Yet the dukes and lords delight in doing this—this is delighting in harming the myriad people of the world—is this not absurd? Now, the war-loving states of the world are Qi, Jin, Chu, and Yue. If these four states were to have their way in the world, their populations would be ten times the capacity of their territories, yet they could not digest those lands—this means there is a shortage of people but a surplus of land. Now, moreover, they harm each other for the sake of contending for land—this is to diminish what is insufficient and increase what is in surplus.

Now, those rulers who delight in attacking further embellish their arguments to criticize Mozi, saying: 'You consider attacks to be unrighteous and not beneficial. In the past, Yu attacked the Miao, Tang attacked Jie, and King Wu attacked Zhou. These men were all established as sage kings. What is the reason for this?' Mozi said: 'You have not understood the categories I speak of, nor do you understand the reason. These were not what is called "attack" but what is called "punishment." In ancient times, the three Miao were in great chaos, and Heaven commanded their destruction. The sun appeared strangely at night, blood rained for three days, dragons appeared in the ancestral temples, dogs wailed in the marketplaces, ice formed in summer, the earth split open to the springs, the five grains changed, and the people were greatly terrified. Gao Yang then issued a command in the Xuan Palace, and Yu personally took Heaven's auspicious mandate to attack the Miao. The four lightning bolts guided him, and there was a god with a human face and a bird's body, standing as if holding a jade tablet, and he shot down the Miao's auspicious signs. The Miao army was thrown into great disorder, and afterward they declined. After Yu had defeated the three Miao, he divided the mountains and rivers, distinguished high and low, regulated the four directions, and neither spirits nor people opposed him. The world was then at peace—this is the reason why Yu attacked the Miao. As for King Jie of the Xia dynasty, Heaven issued a reprimand. The sun and moon did not keep their times, cold and heat were intermingled, the five grains withered, ghosts wailed within the state, and cranes cried out for ten nights. Heaven then commanded Tang in the Biao Palace to receive the great mandate of Xia, saying: "The virtue of Xia is in great disorder. I have already ended its fate in Heaven. Go and punish it. I will surely make you succeed." Tang then dared to lead his troops and therefore entered the borders of Xia. The Supreme Lord then secretly destroyed the walls of Xia. Soon, a god came and spoke, saying: "The virtue of Xia is in great disorder. Attack it. I will surely make you greatly victorious. I have already received the mandate from Heaven. Heaven's mandate is that Zhu Rong set fire to the northwestern corner of the Xia city." Tang led Jie's troops to defeat Xia, assembled the feudal lords at Bo, proclaimed the mandate of Heaven, and communicated it to the four quarters. None of the feudal lords of the world dared not to submit—this is the reason why Tang punished Jie. As for King Zhou of the Shang dynasty, Heaven did not approve of his virtue. Sacrifices were not offered at the proper times. Ten suns appeared together at night. At Bo, the earth rained down soil. The nine tripods shifted. Female demons appeared at night. Ghosts wailed in the night. Women turned into men. Meat rained from the sky. Thorny plants grew on the state roads. King Zhou indulged himself even more. A red bird carried a jade tablet and alighted on the altar of Zhou at Qi, saying: "Heaven commands King Wen of Zhou to attack the state of Yin." Tai Dian came to submit. The Yellow River produced a green diagram. The earth produced the Cheng Huang. When King Wu ascended the throne, he dreamed of three gods, who said: "We have already made Yin Zhou sink into the virtue of wine. Go and attack him. We will surely make you greatly victorious." King Wu then attacked the tyrant, overthrew Shang, and established Zhou. Heaven granted King Wu the Yellow Bird Banner. After King Wu had defeated Yin, he completed the descent of the Supreme Lord, distributed sacrifices to the various spirits, sacrificed to Zhou's former kings, and communicated with the four barbarian tribes. None in the world did not submit. Thus he succeeded to Tang's enterprise—this is the reason why King Wu punished Zhou. If we examine these three sage kings, it was not what is called "attack" but what is called "punishment."'"

Then those rulers who delight in attacking others gloss over their arguments to criticize Mozi, saying: “You consider offensive warfare to be unrighteous and not beneficial—is that so? In ancient times, Chu Xiongli was first enfeoffed between the Xiong Mountains; the king of Yue, Yi Kui, came from Youju and first established the state of Yue; Tang Shu and Lü Shang founded their states in Qi and Jin. These territories were each only a few hundred li in area, yet now, because of annexing other states, they have divided the world among themselves and hold it. Why is this?” Mozi replied: “You do not understand the categories I speak of, nor do you grasp the reasons behind them. In ancient times, when the Son of Heaven first enfeoffed the lords, there were over ten thousand states. Now, because of annexation, those ten thousand states have perished, and only these four states remain independent. This is like a physician who treats over ten thousand patients, yet only four recover—he cannot be called a good physician.”

Then those rulers who delight in attacking others again gloss over their arguments, saying: “It is not that I lack gold, jade, children, or land; I wish to establish a reputation for righteousness under heaven and to attract the other lords through virtue.” Mozi replied: “Now if someone could establish a reputation for righteousness under heaven and attract the lords through virtue, the submission of the world would be attained immediately. The world has long been mired in warfare, like making a child ride a horse. Now if someone could trust and emulate the ways of the former kings to benefit the lords of the world—when a great state acts unrighteously, they would share concern; when a great state attacks a small state, they would join in rescuing it; if a small state’s city walls are incomplete, they would surely have them repaired; if its cloth and grain are insufficient, they would give them; if its money is lacking, they would supply it. Using these to emulate the great states, then the rulers of small states would be pleased. When others labor and I am at ease, my military strength will grow. Being generous and benevolent, replacing urgency with leniency, the common people will surely submit. If I change from attacking to governing my own state, the results will be doubled. Estimating the expenses of my army’s campaigns and using them to relieve the hardships of the other lords, I will surely gain benefits. Guiding them with the Way and calling it righteousness, I will surely treat my people generously and make my army trustworthy, using this to aid the armies of the lords—then I will be invincible under heaven. The benefits from this are incalculable. This is the advantage of the world, yet the kings, dukes, and great men do not know how to employ it—this can truly be said to be ignorance of the great tasks that benefit the world.”

Therefore Mozi says: “Now the kings, dukes, great men, and scholar-officials of the world, if they truly wish in their hearts to seek the benefit of the world and remove its harm, then such frequent offensive warfare is indeed the great harm of the world. If they now wish to practice benevolence and righteousness and seek to be superior officers, conforming above to the way of the sage kings and below to the benefit of the state and its people, then they must examine the doctrine of ‘condemning offensive warfare.’”