Weak-Party Negotiators of Ancient China: The Mohists, Offensive Warfare, and Power

Abstract

This article situates the topic of weak-party negotiators in the context of early China. It examines the Mohists, activists known for their efforts to confront aggressive warfare in the Warring States period (476–221 BC), when various regional states competed fiercely with one another in China’s inter-state system. By examining the foundational text of Mohism, the Mozi, I show how the Mohists pioneered techniques and tactics regarded as beneficial for weak-party negotiators by modern day experts on negotiation and conflict resolution. More importantly, I emphasize that with their long and deep historical engagement with an ancient Chinese elite driven by self-interests, the Mohists pursued power and were consequential by developing their own approach to asymmetrical negotiation in war-related contexts. This approach was heavily dependent on the Mohists’ use of positive and negative leverage. And it is, according to the Mozi, made possible by the activists’ relentless pursuit of knowledge.