The Mohist attitude towards war: translator’s foreword

Abstract

Chapters 17–19 of the Mozi are among the earliest philosophical texts – not only in the Chinese tradition, but in world philosophy as well – concerning the ethics of war and the theory of just war. Their text is of paramount importance for the study of ancient Chinese ethical and political thought. The article serves as a foreword to the publication of their first complete and commented translation from the ancient Chinese into Russian. For the first time in Russian sinology, the author presents a critical edition of their original text. The article, which precedes the translation, analyzes the dating, purposes of writing, textual characteristics, composition and content of these chapters.