Even is this volume addresses a series of important questions regarding the philosophy of Mohism and its relationship to its chief rival, Confucianism, the question remains: Why talk about Mohism today? The easiest answer is: because it is interesting and in many ways novel. This easy answer holds true against a specific Chinese background. As Confucianism sees its revival in China, it is an opportunity to philosophically engage in finding its complements, corrections, and alternatives. Mohism is one of them. Mozi has resources to offer that go beyond the scope of Chinese philosophy. The ideal of impartial care but also the discussion of what makes a theory a “good theory” are important in the contemporary world marked, as some claim, by “echo bubbles” and “bad science.” Mozi’s justification of pacifism goes beyond the frictions created by war encompassing an analysis of actions that are hostile without being war per se. And even Mozi’s consequentialism might produce resources that at the same time strengthen the social body and take care of individuals.
Why talk about Mohism today? Because it is interesting, because it is Chinese Philosophy, and because its preoccupations and answers transcend Chinese Philosophy.