Episode 39: Mohist Consequentialism

The ancient Mohists are often said to be the world's first consequentialists -- the first on record to propose that we should consistently live by an ethical standard that asks us to bring about as much good as possible for the world. In this episode, we put Mohist consequentialism under a microscope. On the Mohist view, the best action is always the one that maximizes benefit and minimizes harm. How did the Mohists justify this approach? What sorts of things count as "benefit"? Is the theory...