Human Agency and the Ideal of Shang Tong (Upward Conformity) in Early Mohist Writings

Skill and Expertise in Three Schools of Classical Chinese Thought

“…The Mohists advocate reforming governing structures and hierarchies so as to promote those who are just so skilled, who they deem the worthy (xian 賢). Good government requires this kind of ethical expertise, which in turn demands a degree of individual autonomy, or the ability to make such classifications oneself independent of one's superiors (Brindley, 2007). In other words, making correct ethical judgments is a form of skill, and ethical failure results from a lack of such skill.…”