mohism neg jury nullification

7/25/2019 Mohism Neg Jury Nullification

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BLOCKSI negate

I value morality because ought invokes a moral question

Objective Morality exists.

Shafer-Landau 2004:

some moral views are better than others, despite the sincerity of the individuals, cultures, and

societies that endorse them. Some moral views are true, others false, and my thinking them so

doesnt make them so. My societys endorsement of them doesnt prove their truth. Individuals,

and whole societies, can be seriously mistaken when it comes to morality. The best

explanation of this is that there are moral standards not of our own making.[24]

Objectivism cannot be replaced by a coherent moral philosophy so refuting objectivism triggers

skepticism

Levin 2001:

Even the enemies of objectivity rely on it. T he skeptic states a position that cannot possibly

be sustained or rationally believed [because] he is in effect asking you not to apply his

assertion to his own position, without giving any reason for exempting his ownwords from

his own general claim. His position is futile and self-refuting it can be stated, but it cannot

convince anyone who recognizes its implications.[19]

Objective moral laws are derived from tian, translated as nature or

heaven,Mou 2001:
http://www.bethinking.org/morality/can-moral-objectivism-do-without-god#_edn19http://www.bethinking.org/morality/can-moral-objectivism-do-without-god#_edn24http://www.bethinking.org/morality/can-moral-objectivism-do-without-god#_edn19http://www.bethinking.org/morality/can-moral-objectivism-do-without-god#_edn19http://www.bethinking.org/morality/can-moral-objectivism-do-without-god#_edn24http://www.bethinking.org/morality/can-moral-objectivism-do-without-god#_edn24http://www.bethinking.org/morality/can-moral-objectivism-do-without-god#_edn24


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Text read in speech:

Mozi did appeal to a reality. forsome of his arguments in favor of transcending social ritual. It was

tian. Tian was the author of the moral standard, utility, to which Mozi appeals in his moral reform.

Mozi stressed that tian[is] was universal, not bounded in the ways cultures, states, and

societies [are] were. It [is] was constant where cultures and conventions could change.

These claims do not entail that tian is the Chinese name for the Western God, Elohim. Nor

does it conflict with the assumption that tianis a part of nature.. It essentially gave a

"naturalistic' basis for [Mozis] themoral norm[s] of maximizing utility. It ground[s] a conception of a

natural value as opposed to a social one, but not necessarily of a transcendent,

super-natural, or spooky [one] value.. In fact, the Mozis use of tian'sstandard approximates the use pragmatists

make of nature in their arguments for extracting norms from nature and social practice. Mozi did not find how the standard workedby revelation or by hearing a booming voice command it or seeing a finger of fire write it.

To eliminate social disorder, everyone must follow the same objective

morals

Mozi 1

Mozi said: In the beginning of human life, when there was yet no law and government, the custom

was "everybody according to his own idea."Accordingly each man had his own idea, two men had two

different ideas and ten men had ten different ideas -- the more people the more different notions. And

everybody approved of his own view and disapproved the views of others, and s o arose mutual

disapproval among men.As a result, father and son and elder and younger brothers became enemies

and were estranged from each other, since they were unable to reach any agreement. Everybody worked

for the disadvantage of the others with water, fire, and poison.Surplus energy was not spent for

mutual aid surplus goods were allowed to rot without sharing excellent teachings (Dao) were kept secret


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and not revealed. The disorder in the (human) world could be compared to that among birds and

beasts.

There are two consequences

1. Without an objective morality derived from tian, no normative ethics at all can be

sustained because the world devolves into a war of all against all

Hobbes 1651:

To this warre of every man against every man, this also is consequent that nothing can

be Unjust. The notions of Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice have there no place.

Where there is no common Power, there is no Law: where no Law, no Injustice. Force,

and Fraud, are in warre the two Cardinall vertues. Justice, and Injustice are none of the

Faculties neither of the Body, nor Mind. If they were, they might be in a man that were alone in

the world, as well as his Senses, and Passions. They are Qualities, that relate to men in

Society, not in Solitude. It is consequent also to the same condition, that there be no Propriety,

no Dominion, no Mine and Thine distinct but onely that to be every mans that he can get and

for so long, as he can keep it. And thus much for the ill condition, which man by meer Nature is

actually placed in though with a possibility to come out of it, consisting partly in the Passions,

partly in his Reason.

2. Without a common acceptance of an objective morality derived from tian in this debate

round, there will be pre-fiat chaos, war and misery as each person attempts to live by

their own conception of morality. Thus, If my opponent rejects this framework, drop

them a priori.

Mozi 2

Mozi said: Any word, any action, that is beneficial to Heaven, the spirits, and the people is to

be carried out. Any word, any action, that is harmful to Heaven, the spirits, and the people is

to be abandoned.Any word, any action, that is in harmony with the sage-kings of the Three

Dynasties, Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu, is to be carried out. Any word, any action, that is in

agreement with the wicked kings of the Three Dynasties, Jie, Zhou, You, and Li, is to be abandoned.

Any principle that can modify conduct, (expound) much any principle that cannot modify

conduct, do not (expound) much.To (expound) much what cannot modify conduct is just to wear

out one's mouth.


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Prefer a Mohist framework because it provides an objective way to

judge the round

Mou 2001:

Text read:

The Mozis replacement for [Confucian morality] is also naturalistic. His model of

standards for settling questions of [morality] are the craftsmans operational

measurement tools. We do not rely on an intuition...or on reason. Measurement is not a

Platonic absolute, but an operation in the natural world. It is highly reliable [and],

inter-subjective, but pragmatic (rather than abstract...) interpretation of societys guiding

discourse. Mohist focus on standards introduces a key mechanism for quasi-objectivity.

Furthermore,

The highest good is social order

Frazer 2014

This communitarian focus is a major point of contrast with Western social contract theories

and utilitarian political theory. Utilitarians and social contract theorists (excepting perhaps

Rousseau) typically treat individuals' interests as primary and construct social good out of

individual good. The state is justified because it promotes individuals' rights and interests

better than any alternative. For the Mohists, by contrast, the state is instrumentally justified

because social order (zhi) is an intrinsic good, sought by all, and government by a

hierarchy of moral leaders is needed to achieve it.

Indeed, as we might expect from their communitarianism, the Mohists' conception of zhi

(order) contains the seeds of an argument that the state is intrinsically justified as well. The

Mohists most often usezhiin a narrow sense, to refer to harmonious family and social


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relations. But some Mohist texts mainly the triad devoted to the doctrine of Heaven's

intention usezhiin a broader sense, in which it is identified withyi(right, moral) and

zheng(good governance), which in turn is taken to require a hierarchical political system

administered by the noble and wise.The texts thus imply that the Mohist political system

is not merely an instrument for producing utility, but is itself a component of the goods

that constitute moral right and thus is intrinsically justified.

Additionally.

moral theories cannot be evaluated without a theory of identityFlanagan, Owen J., and Amlie Oksenberg Rorty, eds. Identity, character, and morality: Essays in moral

psychology. MIT press, 1993.

There are several ways to support the fundamental idea of con- straining normative reflection by psychological knowledge.First,

every tr dition l mor l theory presupposes theory of the structure of ch r cter

nd gency. Second, proponents of e ch theory ttempt to provide justific tions for

conceiving of mor lity in w y th t c n motiv te gents nd guide pr ctic l

deliber tion.They want to promote a specific way of life, certain sensitivities of thought and feeling, as well as

ppropri te ctions nd pr ctices

. In order to do this

, it is necess ry to know wh t

sensibilities we should develop, which

c p cities we should energize, nd which to suppress, moder te, modify, or redirect.

It is also essential to understand characteristic patterns of psychological and social development. Perhaps it is possible to live a

moral life guided by the categorical imperative, by the principle of utility, or by commitment to a moral contract. ut the

c p cities required for Kantian, utilitarian, and contractarian deliber tiondo not simply emerge s

person m tures.

Individuals need to learn to reason in the required way. Even moral systems that aim at imper- sonal

and unemotional deliberation may have to endorse certain emotional dispositions like trust, upon which the development of such

deliberative ability depends .Certain ladders must be climbed before we can even consider throwing them away.

AND The identity of individual is inextricably subsumed in the identity of the state

Migdal:
https://books.google.com/books?id=4BpPfpFa0fsC&pg=PA256&lpg=PA256&dq=people%27s+identity+inextricably+tied+with+the+state&source=bl&ots=RdxbeEVedR&sig=1-8KzH9wWvlwu1c2YSpePRtifrM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAWoVChMIt8nHzMD8xwIVCC-ICh2ySgLN#v=onepage&q=people%27s%20identity%20inextricably%20tied%20with%20the%20state&f=false


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Thus, Mohism comes before any other framework because it explicates the only manner of

deriving identity

To uphold Mohism, all subjects of the state mustfollow consistent laws

Mozi 3

Moreover, righteousness is the standard. A [moral] standard is not to be given by the subordinates to

the superior but by the superior to the subordinates. Therefore, while the common people should

spare no pains at work they may not make the standard at will. There are the scholars to give them

the standard. While the scholars should spare no pains at work, they may not make the standard at will.There are the ministers and secretaries to give them the standard. While the ministers and secretaries

should spare no pains at work, they may not make the standard at will. There are the high duke and feudal

lords to give them the standard. While the high duke and the feudal lords should spare no pains at work,

they may not make the standard at will. There is the emperor to give them the standard.

Mozi 4 furthers

When the lords of the country and the heads of the people had been appointed, the emperor


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issued mandates, instruct[ed] the people: "Discovering good you must report it to your

superior, discovering evil you must report it to your superior.What the superior thinks to be

right all shall think to be right what the superior thinks to be wrong all shall

think to be wrong.When there is virtue among the people there shall be popular

recommendation when the superior is at fault there shall be good counsel. You shall identify yourselfwith the superior and not associate with your subordinates. So doing, one deserves encouragement

from his superiors and praise from the people. "On the other hand, if upon discovering good you

should not report it and upon discovering evil you should not report it if you should not think to be

right what the superior thinks to be right, and wrong what the superior thinks to be wrong if there

should be no recommendation when there is virtue among the people and no good counsel when the

superior is at fault and if you should unite with the subordinates but differ from the

superior - you deserve heavy punishment from your superiors and

condemnation from the people."

Thus, my criterion is strict and consistent application of the

laws of the ti n endorsedstateObs 1: The United States Government acts in accord with tian

A state acting in accord with tian maximizes population growth state strength and wealth

pps

As GFP Military Rankings 2015 shows, the US is the strongest state in the world


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As the World Bank GDP Rankings show, the United States is the richest state in the world

The US is adding more population than any other developed country

UN World Population Prospects 2015

At the country level, much of the overall increase between now and 2050 is projected to occur

either in high-fertility countries, mainly in Africa, or in countries with large populations. During


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2015-2050, half of the worlds population growth is expected to be concentrated in nine

countries: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, United

Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Indonesia and Uganda, listed according to

the size of their contribution to the total growth.

Observation 2: Both debaters must impact all offense in every speech back to a single

criterion that is weighable against other frameworks, and necessary and sufficient for both

debaters.

Observation 3: for every truth, there are infinite falsehoods, so presume neg as the resolution is

infinitely more likely to be false than true

definition 1: jury nullification

Wex Law Journal

A jury's knowing and deliberate rejection of the evidence or refusal to apply the

law either because the jury wants to send a message about some social issue

that is larger than the case itself, or because the result dictated by law is contrary

to the jury's sense of justice, morality, or fairness.

Jury nullificationis a discretionary act, andis not a legally sanctioned function of

the jury. It is considered to be inconsistent with the jury's duty to return a

verdict based solely on the law and the facts of the case. The jury does not have a

right to nulification, and counsel is not permitted to present the concept of jury

nullification to the jury. However, jury verdicts of acquittal are unassailable even where

the verdict is inconsistent with the weight of the evidence and instruction of the law.

Contention 1: Jury nullification directly contradicts

Reinhart, Liz. "The Zimmerman Verdict And Jury Nullification." Jurist. July 08, 2013. Web.

October 09, 2015. .

The most abhorrent consequence of reverse jury nullification is that it results in punishment

for a defendant who has either not broken a recognized law or who has not been proven

guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Reverse nullification licenses juries to apply their own

personal prejudices and idiosyncratic values rather than the orderly, unbiased, application

of fact to law. The risk is not hypothetical.An empirical study [PDF]found that juries given

nullification instructions spent less time considering evidence. They were also more

likely to convict "unsympathetic" defendants, such as drunk drivers and more likely to

acquit "sympathetic" defendants, like those who kill out of mercy. Similar to Lon Fuller's


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Rex in The Morality of Law, juries permitted to nullify can change laws to fit

circumstances and characteristics of individual defendants until the results become

completely unpredictable and impossible to follow, increasing the instability and lack of

faith in the criminal justice

system. While this charge can easily be leveled against traditional nullification, the difference

with reverse jury nullification

defendant goes to jail.

Furthermore, jury nullification creates inconsistent laws

BLOCKSThere is no guarantee that a jury will only nullify bad laws.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE. "The Dangers Of Jury Nullification. October 14, 2015. Web. October

09, 2015. .


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It's true that there is considerable history in England and America of juries disregarding

their instructions on principle. Before the Civil War, Northern juries sometimes refused to

enforce the Fugitive Slave Act, preferring to forgive defendants who helped escaped slaves. But

there is no guarantee that a runaway jury will suspend only bad laws.

Autonomy definition: in bioethics, self-determination that is free fromboth controlling

interferences by othersand personal limitations preventing meaningful choice (such as inadequate

understanding or faulty reasoning). Having the capacity to act with autonomy does not guarantee

that a person will actually do so with full understanding and without external controlling influences.

adj., adj autonomous. -- Farlex Medical Dictionary

Prefer this definition because it is topic-specific, being specifically in the context of bioethics and

sourced from a reputable medicine-specific dictionary.

The autonomy necessary for conceiving of morality is placed in the societal dao

Mou 2001

Mozis utilitarianism differs from its Western counterparts in other inter-

esting ways that bear on the transcendence issue. His measure of utility is not

mental, private, or subjective. The subject of the moral autonomy his argu-

ment vouehsafes is not the individual. He seemingl_v shares the Confucian

notion that a daois a social guide. As a moral refonner, he questions what

social duo we (the society) ought to use in guiding our behavior. Then he

urges we make a social choice to follow a path of moral reform that will natu-

rally result in the individuals in society following a dilferent path from the one

they now follow. The locus ofthe autonomy necessary for conceiving of moral

refomi is not placed in individuals, but in the nomiative or guiding discourse

(dao)itself.

Mozi commanded great respect and obedienceCumbria

The school of Moism was founded by Mozi, who was born shortly after the death of Confucius. Mozi

lived during the period of the warring states, which was characterised by chaos, confusion and

conflict between the various feudal states. Mozi sought to address the problems of his period

through creating a philosophy based on universal love and promoting attitudes and conduct

that is most useful to people. Mozi lived out the principles of his philosophy. It is recorded
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/bioethics


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that on one occasion he walked ten days and ten nights to prevent a larger state from

attacking a smaller one.

The Moist movement was highly authoritarian. Mozi was treated by his followers as virtually

infallible, and his successors were also accorded great obedience by their followers. During

the fourth century BCE the movement was strong enough to rival Confucianism. f

Mohism believes in afterlife:

Fulford 2008

Few people in the West are aware that 500 years before Christwas born, there lived a sage in China

whose teachings are uncannily similar to those of Jesus. His name was Mozi(original name Mo Di) or

the "tattooed one."

In his time he was a serious rival to Confucius. He also had a million-man army at his disposal.

Mozi preached that all men are created equal. Unlike Confucius, who said relatives had first priority, hepreached universal love and caring for the poorest and weakest in society. Mozi also said there was a

Heaven and an afterlife and that people who became rich through unrighteous means would

not be able to go there.

Just as Jesussaid it was better to teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime than it was go give him

a fish, so did Mozi emphasize teaching the poor the skills they needed to care for themselves.

The most important teaching of Mozi, however, was the concept of "Gi" which has been translated as

"righteousness" but would be better translated as "life" or "love." The idea is to draw a line and fight

whenever Gi or life is being harmed.

Evidence for tian

-based metaethics

Mozi 5

All states in the world, large or small, are cities of Heaven, and all people, young or old, honourable or

humble, are its subjects for they all graze oxen and sheep, feed dogs and pigs, and prepare clean wine and

cakes to sacrifice to Heaven. Does this not mean that Heaven claims all and accepts offerings from all?

Since Heaven does claim all and accepts offerings from all, what then can make us say that it does not

desire men to love and benefit one another? Hence those who love and benefit others Heaven will bless.

Those who hate and harm others Heaven will curse, for it is said that he who murders the innocent will be

visited by misfortune. How else can we explain the fact that men, murdering each other, will be cursed by

Heaven? Thus we are certain that Heaven desires to have men love and benefit one another and

abominates to have them hate and harm one another.

The ancient sage-kings, Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu loved the people of the world universally, leading

them to reverence Heaven and worship the spirits. Many were their benefits to the people. And,

thereupon Heaven blessed them, establishing them emperors and all the feudal lords of the

empire showed them respect. (On the other hand) the wicked kings, Jie, Zhou, You, and Li, hated

all the people in the world, seducing the people to curse Heaven and ridicule the spirits. Great
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confuciushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozi


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were their injuries to the people.Thereupon Heaven brought them calamity, depriving them of their

empire and their lives and posterity condemned them to this day. Jie, Zhou, You, and Li, then, are those

that committed evil and were visited by calamities. And Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu are those that loved and

benefited the people and obtained blessings. Thus we have those who obtained blessings because they

loved and benefited the people as well as those who were visited by calamities because they hated and

harmed the people.

Fa are objective paradigms:

mohism requires wealth and stability, nada mas:

Epps


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conforming to traditional norms is not necessary (justify integrated

pre-fiat impacts),


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Loy 2003

Third, the Mohists see the morally right as conceptually distinct from the customary or

traditional. An argument that appeals to the distinction can be found in "Frugality in

Funerals." The Mohists point to the variety between burial customs among the tribal peoples

on the periphery of the Chinese world and note that, although what the tribes practice is

customary within their communities, these practices also are all understood by an elite

Chinese audience to be barbaric and immoral. The Mohists thus urge that, just because

elaborate funerals and lengthy mourning are customary practices among the gentlemen of the

central states, this fact alone will not secure their consistency with moral rightness.

elevate the righteous in this debate round by voting against the

opponent

Mozi said: This is because the rulers have failed to exalt the virtuous and to employ the capable in their

government

When the virtuous are numerous in the state order will be stable when the virtuous

are scarce order will be unstable. Therefore the task of the lords lies nowhere but in multiplying

the virtuous.

But what is the way to multiply the virtuous?

Mozi said: Supposing it is desired to multiply good archers and good drivers in the country it will

be only natural to enrich them honour them respect them and commend them then good

archers and good drivers can be expected to abound in the country. How much more should this

be done in the case of the virtuous and the excellent who are firm in morality versed in rhetoric

and experienced in statecraft

- since these are the treasures of the nation and props of the state? Theyshould also be enriched, honoured, respected, and commended in order that they may abound.

When the ancient sage-kings administered the government they declared: "The unrighteous will

not be enriched, the unrighteous will not be honoured, the unrighteous will not be favoured, the

unrighteous will not be placed near." Upon hearing this, the rich and honoured of the country all

began to deliberate, saying: "What I have been depending on was wealth and honour. Now the

Lord promotes the righteous without discrimination against the poor and humble. Hence I may not

do unrighteousness." Upon hearing this, the favoured also began to deliberate, saying: "What I

have been depending on was favour. Now the Lord promotes the righteous without discrimination

against those thus far neglected. Hence I may not do unrighteousness." Upon hearing this, those

placed near began to deliberate, saying: "What I have been depending on was intimacy. Now the

Lord promotes the righteous without discrimination against the distant. Hence I may not do

unrighteousness." Upon hearing this, the distant also began to deliberate, saying : "I used to

think, being distant I had nothing to depend on. Now the Lord promotes the righteous without

discrimination against the distant. Hence I may not do unrighteousness." Vassals of distant districts

as well as youths in the palace, and multitudes within the state boundaries as well as the rustics living on the

four borders, upon hearing this, all competed in doing righteousness. Now what is the reason for all this? It

is only with material goods that the superior can employ his subordinates, and it is only with statecraft that

the subordinates can serve their lord. Take, for example, the rich man who built his walls high and left only


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one gate. When the burglar had entered, the man closed the gate and searched for him, and the burglar had

no more exit. Why? Because the man had the vantage-point.

Mohism is the best way to evaluate a debate round because its roots

are in logic, argumentation, and objective reasoningFrazer 2014:

Mohism was an influential philosophical, social, and religious movement that flourished during the

Warring States era (479221 BCE) in ancient China. Mohism originates in the teachings of Mo Di, or

Mozi (Master Mo, fl. ca. 430 BCE), from whom it takes its name. Mozi and his followers initiated

philosophical argumentation and debate in China. They were the first in the tradition to engage, like

Socrates in ancient Greece, in an explicit, reflective search for objective moral standards and to give

step-by-step, tightly reasoned arguments for their views,though their reasoning is sometimes

simplistic or rests on doubtful assumptions. They formulated China's first explicit ethical and political

theoriesand advanced the world's earliest form of consequentialism, a remarkably sophisticated version

based on a plurality of intrinsic goods taken as constitutive of human welfare. The Mohists applied apragmatic, non-representational theory of language and knowledge and developed a rudimentary theory of

analogical argumentation. They played a key role in articulating and shaping many of the central

concepts, assumptions, and issues of classical Chinese philosophical discourse.

Mohism is a philosophy of the oppressed and marginalized

Epps


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The state is a seperate entity, not merely the sum of individuals

Migdal


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spike: need Tian, w/o no way to evaluate morality (if proven false)

And, ethics not based in the concept of Tian trigger skepticism because unrooted morality is

nonsensical. Craig 1provides 5 warrants

[First,] If there is no God, then any ground for regarding the herd morality evolved by homo sapiens as objectively true seems to have been removed.

After all,

what is so special about human beings? They are just accidental by-products of

nature which have evolved relatively recently on an infinitesimal speck of dust lost somewhere

in a hostile and mindless universe and which are doomed to perish individually and collectively in a relatively short time. Some action, say,incest, may not be biologically or socially advantageous and so in the course of human evolution has become taboo but there is on the atheistic view nothing really wrong about

committing incest. If, as Kurtz states, "The moral principles that govern our behavior are rooted in habit and custom, feeling and fashion,"

5then the non-conformist who chooses to flout the herd morality is doing nothing more serious than acting unfashionably. The objective worthlessness of human beings on a

naturalistic world view is underscored by two implications of that world view: materialism and determinism. Naturalists are typically materialists or physicalists, who regard man

as a purely animal organism. But [Second] if man has no immaterial aspect to his being (call it soul or mind

or what have you), then he is not qualitatively different from other animal species. For him to

regard human morality as objective is to fall into the trap of specie-ism.

On a materialistic

ant hrop ol og y t here i s n o reaso n t o t hi nk t hat h uman b ei ng s are o bj ecti vely more v al uabl e t han rat s. Secondly,

[Third] if there is no mind

distinct from the brain then everything we think and do is determined by the input

of our five senses

and our genetic make-up

.

There is no personal agent who freely

decides to do something. But without freedom none of our choices is morally

significant.

They are like the jerks of a puppet s limbs,controlled bythe strings of sensory input andphysical constitution. And what moralvaluedoesa puppetor its

movements have? Thus,

[Fourth] if naturalism is true it becomes impossible to condemn war

oppression or crime as evil. Nor can one praise brotherhood, equality, or love as good. It does not matterwhat valuesyou choose--for there is no


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right and wrong good and evil do not exist. That means that an atrocity like the Holocaust was really morally indifferent. You may think that it was

wrong, but your opinion has no more validity than that of the [oppressor] war criminal whothought it was good. In his book Morality after Auschwitz, Peter Haas asks how an entire society could have willingly participated in a state-sponsored program of mass torture

and genocide for over a decade without any serious opposition. He argues that far from being contemptuous of ethics, the perpetrators acted in strict conformity with an ethic

which held that, however difficult and unpleasant the task might have been, mass extermination of the Jews and Gypsies was entirely justified. . . . the Holocaust as a sustained

effort was possible only because a new ethic was in place that did not define the arrest and deportation of Jews as wrong and in fact defined it as ethically tolerable and ever good.6

Moreover, Haas points out, because of its coherence and internal consistency, the Nazi ethic could not be discredited from within. Only from a transcendent vantage point which

stands above relativistic, socio-cultural mores could such a critique be launched. But in the absence of God, it is precisely such a vantage point that we lack. One Rabbi who was

imprisoned at Auschwitz said that it was as though all the Ten Commandments had been reversed: thou shalt kill, thou shalt lie, thou shalt steal. Mankind has never seen such a

hell. And yet, in a real sense, if naturalism is true, our world is Auschwitz. There is no good and evil, no right and wrong. Objective moral values do not exist

. Moreover,

[Fifth: Without Tian] there is no moral accountability for one's actions. Even if

there were objective moral values and duties under naturalism, they are irrelevant

because there is no moral accountability. If life ends at the grave, it makes no

difference whether one lives as a Stalin or as a saint. As the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky rightly said: "If there is

no immortality, then all things are permitted."7

A strong military is essential to the Mohist state

Fraser 2014

As the name implies, the Warring States era saw China divided into numerous states that

frequently fell to war with each other, as each of the larger, more powerful states aspired to

conquer its neighbors and unify the empire under its rule. The Mohists were deeply

committed to the ideal of a harmonious, peaceful social order and to universal concern for

the welfare of all under heaven. They condemned unprovoked military aggression and

attempted to dissuade warlike rulers from attacking other states. Far from being pacifists,

however, they saw a strong defense force as crucial to state survival. Indeed, many

Mohists seem to have concluded that, since social order was a paramount value and

gratuitous warfare was wrong, they had a duty to assist victims of aggression. Some

Mohists became specialists in defensive warfare, rushing to the aid of cities and states

under threat of attack. The last quarter of the Mozipreserves the texts of these militias,

which present detailed information about ancient defense tactics and siege fortifications

(for an overview, see Yates, 1980).

Social Order is an intrinsic goodFrazer 2014

This communitarian focus is a major point of contrast with Western social contract theories

and utilitarian political theory. Utilitarians and social contract theorists (excepting perhaps

Rousseau) typically treat individuals' interests as primary and construct social good out of

individual good. The state is justified because it promotes individuals' rights and interests


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better than any alternative. For the Mohists, by contrast, the state is instrumentally justified

because social order (zhi) is an intrinsic good, sought by all, and government by a

hierarchy of moral leaders is needed to achieve it.

Indeed, as we might expect from their communitarianism, the Mohists' conception of

zhi(order) contains theseeds of an argument that the state is intrinsically justified as

well. The Mohists most often usezhiin a narrow sense, to refer to harmonious family and

social relations. But someMohist texts mainly the triad devoted to the doctrine of

Heaven's intention use zhiin a broader sense, in which it is identified with yi (right,

moral) and zheng(good governance), which in turn is taken to require a hierarchical

political system administered by the noble and wise. The texts thus imply that the

Mohist political system is not merely an instrument for producing utility, but is itself a

component of the goods that constitute moral right and thus is intrinsically justified.

Follow Standards of HeavenMozi 6This shows the governors are even less intelligent than the artisans. What, then, should be taken as the

proper standard in government? How will it do for everybody to imitate his parents? There are

numerous parents in the world but few are magnanimous. For everybody to imitate his parents is

to imitate the unmagnanimous. Imitating the unmagnanimous can not be said to be following the

proper standard. How will it do for everybody to follow his teacher? There are numerous teachers

in the world but few are magnanimous. For everybody to imitate his teacher is to imitate the

unmagnanimous. Imitating the unmagnanimous cannot be taken as following the proper standard.

How will it do for everybody to imitate his ruler? There are many rulers in the world but few aremagnanimous. For everybody to imitate the ruler is to imitate the unmagnanimous. Imitating the

unmagnanimous cannot be taken as following the right standard. So then neither the parents nor

the teacher nor the ruler should be accepted as the standard in government.

No morality in state of nature

Corneli 2014 furthers and clarifies:There is an intimate connection between Hobbes views on property and Hobbes moral philosophy (LV 18.10). Hobbes is

explicit that there cannot be any morality in the state of nature because there is no property:

no mineor yours (LV 13.13-14 18.10 21.8). Ive been thinking about the ways in which Hobbes could avoid sayingthat liberty is sufficient for moral agency and, in light of Russells reading of Hobbes, how issues concerning moral agency, the

contract and, now, property are related. For Hobbes, the social contract involves each individual submitting their wills to the

sovereign: in particular, this submission needs to be of a particular kind. It must authorize the actions of the sovereign. How? For

Hobbes, this involves a particular kind of proprietary relationship: individuals need to ownthe actions of the sovereign. They need to

be, in other words, authors of the sovereigns actions (See Ch.16 and 17.13). The ownership, or property, of actions (or words)

Hobbes calls authorship(16.4). Natural persons, according to Hobbes, are those that own their own actions (or words) (16.1). Thus,

persons are authors of their own actions. I will call this view possessive agency. Natural persons are possessive agents.


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Indeed, clear, universally obeyed standards are

necessary for any state to act morally

Mozi 8

Our Master Mozi said,Those in the world who perform any task cannot work without models

(fa) and standards. To work without models and standards, yet complete their task successfully no one can do it. Even officers serving as generals

or ministers, they all have models even the hundred artisans performing their tasks, they too all have models . The hundred artisans form

squares with the L-square, circles with the compass, straight edges with the string,

vertical lines with the plumb line, [even surfaces with the level]. Whether skilled artisans or unskilled, all takethese five as models. The skilled can conform to them exactly as to the unskilled, though they cannot conform to them exactly, if they follow them in performing their

tasks, they still surpass what they can do on their own. So the hundred artisans in performing their tasks all have models to measure by.

Nowfor the most powerful to order the worldand their deputies to order great states and yet have no models to

measure by, this is to be less discriminating than the hundred artisans.Thus, promoting simple, accurate standards is necessary to educate on how to make moral choices that maintain order in accordance withtian

Tian-endorsed states are instrumental in reducing disorder

Mozi 10

Knowing the cause of the confusion to be in the absence of a ruler who could unify the standards

in the world, tian chose the virtuous, sagacious, and wise in the world and crowned him emperor,

charging him with the duty of unifying the wills in the empire. Having been crowned, the emperor,

realizing the impossibility of unifying the world just by his own senses of hearing and sight, chose theunderstanding, virtuous, sagacious, and wise of the world and installed them as the three ministers, sharing

with them the duty of unifying the standards in the empire. The emperor and the three ministers being in

office, they felt the vastness of the empire and the difficulty of unifying all the peoples in mountains and

woods and those far distant. Therefore they systematically divided up the empire, and appointed numerous

feudal lords, charging these with the duty of unifying the standards in each state. The feudal lords in turn felt

the difficulty of unifying the standards in their states just by their own senses of hearing and sight. Therefore

they chose the virtuous of the state to be their ministers and secretaries and all the way down to the heads

of districts and villages, sharing with them the duty of unifying the standards in the state.

Indeed, Men have a natural desire for order

Shils 1965


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self-interst can merge with state interest

Tian has rewarded moral leadersMozi 7

So, the honoured and the rich cannot but obey the will of Heaven. He who obeys the will of


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Heaven, loving universally and benefiting others, will obtain rewards. He who opposes the will of

Heaven, by being partial and unfriendly and harming others, will incur punishment. Now, who

were those that obeyed the will of Heaven and obtained rewards, and who were those that

opposed the will of Heaven and incurred punishment? Mozi said: The ancient sage-kings of the

Three Dynasties, Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu, were those that obeyed the will of Heaven and obtained

reward. And the wicked kings of the Three Dynasties, Jie, Zhou, You, and Li, were those that

opposed the will of Heaven and incurred punishment. How did Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu obtain their

reward? Mozi said: In the highest sphere they revered Heaven, in the middle sphere they worshipped the

spirits, and in the lower sphere they loved the peopl e. Thereupon the will of Heaven proclaimed: "All those

whom I love these love also, and all those whom I benefit these benefit also. Their love to men is

all-embracing and their benefit to men is most substantial." And so, they were raised to the honour of Sons

of Heaven and enriched with the heritage of the empire. They were succeeded by descendants for ten

thousand generations to continue the spread of their righteousness all over the world. And people praise

them unto this day, calling them righteous sage-kings. How did Jie, Zhou, You, and Li incur their

punishment? Mozi said: In the highest sphere they blasphemed against Heaven, in the middle sphere they

blasphemed against the spirits, and in the sphere below they oppressed the people. Thereupon the will of

Heaven proclaimed: "From those whom I love these turn away and hate, and those whom I want to benefit

they oppress. Their hate of men is without limit and their oppression of men the most severe." And, so, they

were not permitted to finish out their lives, or to survive a single generation. And people condemn them unto

this day, calling them wicked kings.

Mozi 9:

If, however, the people all identify themselves with the Son of Heaven but not with Heaven itself, then

the jungle is still unremoved. Now, the frequent visitations of hurricanes and torrents are just

the punishments from Heaven upon the people for their not identifying their standards with

the Will of Heaven.

Tian still favors strong states todayKraxberger 2012

The most basic fact about natural disasters around the world is the highly variable

death tolls they bring. Major disasters in developed countries are considered very

deadly if they kill a few hundred people. Storms, earthquakes, or droughts of similar

intensity can kill thousands, or even tens of thousands, in developing countries. True, it

can be challenging to compare the severity of disasters in different contexts, but the basic

global patternis stark and sobering. With the important exceptionof [Fukushima]

Japans mega-disaster in 2011, modern mega-disasters exclusively occur in poorer
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/


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countries, and especially those with weak governments. Here are just a few recent

catastrophes:

Haiti earthquake (2010): more than 200,000 killed

Myanmar (Burma) cyclone (2008): more than 130,000 killed

Pakistan earthquake (2006): more than 70,000 killed

Indian Ocean tsunami (2004, Indonesia and other countries): more than 270,000

killed

Bangladesh cyclone (1991): more than 130,000 killed

And, lest you think that developing countries are simply more prone to natural

disasters,North America (and the United States especially) is the most disaster-prone

region in the world.

Why, then, do developing countries experience so much more loss of life in natural

disasters? The answers are many, and vary by the type of disaster. In general, though, poor

and weakly governed states suffer from the following problems:

Less effective advanced warning.

Illiteracy and lower levels of education.

Less sturdy buildings and infrastructure.

Less effective land use planning.

Slower and less effective disaster recovery.

In some cases, an unwillingness to accept international assistance, as with the

case of Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis in 2008, and North Korea during various

episodes of famine.

Tian rewards wicked/helps good, but isnt omnipotent,

merely natural force


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Li 2015

Mozi was dark-skinned, advocated against racism

Mozi 11

Mozi was going north to Qi and met a fortune teller on the way. The fortune teller told him: "God kills

the black dragon in the north to-day. Now, your complexion is dark. You must not go north." Mozi did

not listen to him and went north. At the Ze River he could proceed no further and returned. The

fortune teller said: "I have told you that you must not go north." Mozi said: People on the south, ofcourse, cannot go north (of the Ze River), but neither can those on the north come south. (Moreover),

there are the dark-complexioned, but there are also the fair-complexioned. Why is it that neither can

proceed? Besides, God kills the blue dragon on the days of Jia and of Yi in the East, the red dragon

on the days of Bing and of Ding in the South, the white dragon on the days of Geng and of Xin in the

West, and the black dragon on the days of Ren and of Gui in the North. According to you then all the

travellers in the world will be prohibited, then all their plans will be curbed and the world made empty.

Your idea is not to be adopted.

Not Voting for a mohist framework destroys the stateMozi 12:

If one does not preserve the learned in a state he will be injuring the state if one is not zealous (to

recommend) the virtuous upon seeing one, he will be neglecting the ruler. Enthusiasm is to be shown

only to the virtuous, and plans for the country are only to be shared with the learned. Few are those,

who, neglecting the virtuous and slighting the learned, could still maintain the existence of their

countries.


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mohism neg jury nullification

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