Mohism promotes a philosophy of universal love, i.e. an equal affection for all individuals. This universal love is what makes man 'Good'. The advocacy of universal love was a target of attack by other schools, most notably the Confucians, who believed, for example, that children should hold a greater love for their parents than for random strangers.

The existence of society as an organized organism reduces the wastes and inefficiencies found in the natural state. Conflicts were born from the absence of moral uniformity in man in his natural state, i.e. the absence of the definition of what is right and what is wrong. We must then choose leaders, who will surround themselves with righteous followers, who will then create the hierarchy that harmonizes Shi / Fei. In that sense, the government becomes an authoritative and automated tool. Mohism opposes itself to any form of aggression, especially in the form of war between states. It is however permitted for a state to use force in legitimate defense. They have inspired some modern pacifists.