墨翟 (MòDí): Mo Di, the original name of Moz…

Meanings

1 Mo Di, the original name of Mozi (c. 470–391 BCE), founder of Mohism

Characters

墨

Mò

ink (used as surname)

翟

Dí

long-tailed pheasant (used as given name; surname reading is Zhái)

Examples

墨翟主张兼爱和非攻。

Mò Dí zhǔzhāng jiān'ài hé fēigōng.

Mo Di advocated universal love and non-aggression.

墨翟被尊称为墨子，是先秦的重要思想家。

Mò Dí bèi zūnchēng wéi Mòzǐ, shì xiān-Qín de zhòngyào sīxiǎngjiā.

Mo Di, honored as Mozi, was an important pre-Qin thinker.

Tips

history

Mo Di founded 墨家 (Mòjiā), Mohism, the rationalist counterweight to Confucianism in the Warring States period. Core doctrines: 兼爱 jiān'ài 'impartial care for all,' 非攻 fēigōng 'condemnation of offensive war,' and a thrifty, anti-ritualist ethic. Mohists were also pioneer logicians and military engineers — the school faded after the Qin unification but their texts survive in 《墨子》.

memory

翟 (Dí) is a less common character — picture it as 'feather + bird,' literally a long-tailed pheasant. So Mòzǐ's birth name 墨翟 is roughly 'Ink Pheasant.'