Mozi

Mozi, whose given name was Di, is traditionally said to have been a native of the State of Lu (though some sources claim he hailed from Song). Born into a family of artisans, he mastered carpentry and mechanical engineering, constructing flying wooden kites and ingenious devices such as revolving crossbow bolts for defending cities. He founded the Mohist school, advocating doctrines including universal love (jian’ai), condemnation of offensive warfare (fei gong), meritocratic appointment (shang xian), and frugality (jie yong). His disciples formed a highly disciplined community dedicated to aiding the vulnerable and upholding justice—the famous episode in which Mozi personally intervened to dissuade the State of Chu from attacking Song stands as a landmark example. The Mohists made pioneering contributions to mechanics, optics, and geometry; the Mohist Canon (Mo Jing) records principles such as camera obscura imaging through a pinhole. Later generations of artisans and engineers revered Mozi for his ingenuity, while his ideals of universal love and non-aggression became foundational to East Asian conceptions of peace. In his ancestral hometown of Tengzhou, the Mozi Memorial Hall was erected in his honor.