Esteem the Worthy
Updated 2026-08-22
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
The Mohist doctrine holds that office should go to the capable and virtuous regardless of social origin, arguing that no office is permanently noble and no commoner permanently low. It is a direct challenge to the hereditary principle of the Zhou order. The qualification is that ability must be assessed against explicit criteria, since a slogan of meritocracy without a transparent standard is easily captured by personal connections.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Use Criteria First: define the standards of ability and conduct before assessing anyone. - Use Channel Opening: create routes into key roles for people outside the established network.
Anchor fast decisions
When advancement follows birth or connection, the pool from which talent is drawn is a fraction of the available population. Selecting on demonstrated ability widens that pool, and the improvement comes not from better judgement but from a larger set of candidates considered.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A2%A8%E5%AD%90verified
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