Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Commentators have spoken of the Mohists as taking humans to be ends or valued for their own sake. This essay argues that the later Mohists grant such noninstrumental value a limited role. While benevolence and inclusive love do involve treating their recipients as ends, not all humans are recipients of benevolence and inclusive love. “The Lesser Choosing” and “The Greater Choosing” suggest that one is to hate inflictors of serious harm and to sometimes even suspend love of innocents for the greater benefit of the world. While being noninstrumentally loved and benefited follows from being shown benevolence and inclusive love, whatever noninstrumental value is involved does not by itself entitle one to be shown benevolence and inclusive love in the first place.
Source: Dao
Author: Bradford Jean-Hyuk Kim
Institution: University of Southampton
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
OpenAlex ID: W4413068405