Mozi And Kongzi Analysis

Mozi and Kongzi would both agree that one should be obedient to superiors within the family and the government but their reasons for agreeing are different. Kongzi argues that obedience begins in the family and is the basis for good government. A son should first be obedient to his father and then obedient to government. In contrast Mozi argues that obedience to a good government is more important than obedience to the father. My argument is that Mozi’s and Kongzi’s ideas of governance have the same desired goal of social unity but have different methods and ideologies on how to achieve that social harmony. Mozi believes good governance is obedience to government even over family if needed, while Kongzi argues that filial piety is the beginning …show more content…
For the Confucians, filial piety was not just an action that one performed but it was something one was taught and therefore the individual became filially pious. The text states that when one has good roots in filial piety then the individual will grow in the “Way” (cpk 3, 1.2). Therefore the Confucians believe that there must be an internal transformation. When an individual is grown up and taught to live and behave filially pious, naturally that is who they will become. This transformation is the foundation that a good citizen must …show more content…
Kongzi said to watch a son for three years after his father dies and that if within those three years he does not change the ways of his father then he would be called a filial son (cpk 4, 1.11). This highlights what Kongzi means by filial piety because it is not only to be respectful to one’s father but also to be obedient to him by following the actions of the father, which displays the good internal transformation of the son. Therefore for Confucians it is through the fundamental development of filial piety that allows one to become respectful and obedient to parents and government. Their thought was that if one first develops these good roots then they would be an obedient citizen and not stir up rebellion or strife.
For Confucians a person who was filial was a positive participant in government without having to actually participate in government. When Kongzi was questioned as to why he did not participate in government he replied that when an individual is filially pious then they are already positively engaging with the government (cpk 7, 2.21). In other words when one can obey and respect their parents then they are good citizens and then therefore contribute to a good government by being obedient and