(born 470?, China—died 391? BC, China) Chinese philosopher. Originally a follower of Confucius, Mozi evolved a doctrine of universal love that gave rise to a religious movement called Mohism. Like Confucius, he spent much of his life traveling from one feudal state to another in search of a prince who would allow him to put his teachings into practice. The Mozi, the principal Mohist work, condemned offensive war and urged people to lead a simple life harmful to none. Mohism won a considerable body of followers, but it died out after the 2nd century BC.
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Metallic chemical element, one of the transition elements, chemical symbol Mo, atomic number 42. It is a silvery gray, relatively rare metal with a high melting point (4,730 °F [2,610 °C]) that does not occur uncombined in nature. Since molybdenum and its alloys have useful strength at temperatures that melt most other metals and alloys, they are used in high-temperature steels. Applications include reaction vessels; aircraft, missile, and automobile parts; and electrodes, heating elements, and filament supports. Some molybdenum compounds (in which it has various valences) are used as pigments and catalysts. Molybdenum disulfide is a solid lubricant, used alone or added to greases and oils.
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(born Nov. 1892, Shawan, Luoshan county, Sichuan province, China—died June 12, 1978, Beijing) Chinese scholar and writer. In his youth he abandoned medical studies to devote himself to foreign literature, producing a popular translation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther (1922). He wrote prolifically in every genre, including poetry, fiction, plays, nine autobiographical volumes, translations of Western works, and historical and philosophical treatises, including a monumental study of ancient inscriptions. Initially a liberal democrat, he became a Marxist in the 1920s, and his work was banned by the Guomindang. Following the 1949 revolution, he was named to the highest official literary positions and later to the presidency of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
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