"Against Fatalism" (The Three Gauges)

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"And so, in assessing claims, one must use the three gauges."
(Mozi, "A Condemnation of Fatalism")



The word "gauge" is a translation of the Chinese term biao, which literally means gnomon. A gnomon is one of the earliest astronomical instruments in many cultures. It is very simple, consisting of a straight stick planted perpendicular to the ground, but it provides a wealth of information. When the shadow is shortest, it is noon. The direction the shadow points at noon is North (as long as you are in the northern hemisphere). Furthermore, the direction of the shadow can provide information about the time of the day, and the length of the shadow can be used to determine the date, solstices, and equinoxes.

According to a myth recorded in the History, Sage King Yao ordered the Xi and He brothers to set the times of the seasons. Above is an illustration of one of the Xi brothers using a gnomon to perform this task. (For the story, see James Legge, trans., The Chinese Classics, Vol. 3, The Shoo King, pp. 18-22.)

The Mohists were pioneers in science and technology, so it is not surprising that they should use the Chinese word for gnomon as a metaphor for a rational standard. (Notice that these same three "gauges" are employed in the essay "On Ghosts." This reflects the systematicity of the Mohist approach.) One major question raised by this text, however, is what the three guages are indicators of. Are all three tests of the truth (or falsity) of a doctrine? Or are all three simply pragmatic tests for the usefulness of accepting a doctrine? Or did the Mohists simply not see truth and pragmatic usefulness as separate?

 


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