1Purpose and the Three Tests

1.1 Why the Community exists

1.1.1 墨门 / The Mohist Community is a secular philosophical community of people who study and practice the teaching of Mozi. The Community exists for one reason: to promote what benefits everyone and remove what harms them (兴天下之利，除天下之害). That means people have food, clothing, and rest; the weak are not preyed on by the strong; and capable, honest people are given responsibility.

1.1.2 The Community is not a religion. It asks no one to believe in gods or an afterlife, holds no acts of devotion, and has no clergy. What it asks is that you treat impartial care (兼爱) as a daily practice and judge yourself by results.

1.1.3 Everything the Community does — 每周一篇 weekly study, 墨辩 debate, 兼爱结对 care pairs, the 兼爱基金 fund, the 非攻 Corps — is only a means to 1.1.1. Means can change. The purpose cannot.

1.2 The Three Tests

1.2.1 In Against Fate (非命), Mozi says that a claim should be judged by three standards, the 三表 or Three Tests. Every rule in this Handbook must pass at least one of them, and where it matters, the rule says which one it rests on.

1.2.2 The first test, precedent (本之): look upward to what has been tried. Has anyone done this before, and how did it go? How did the historical Mohist order organize itself? What have other successful communities learned?

1.2.3 The second test, evidence (原之): look outward to what people observe. What do Mohists actually see in their own chapters? Member feedback, attendance, and care-pair check-ins are all evidence.

1.2.4 The third test, results (用之): put it into practice and watch what happens. Once a rule is in force, does it actually benefit people? A rule that passes on precedent and evidence but keeps failing on results should be amended or dropped.

1.2.5 The order of the tests is not an order of weight. Results are the final judge. When a provision of this Handbook conflicts with what actually works, the Council amends it under chapter 15 rather than asking members to live with a useless rule.

1.2.6 Where a key rule depends on one test more than the others, it is marked "(Test: precedent / evidence / results)". Unmarked paragraphs rest on results.

1.3 Who the Handbook binds

1.3.1 This Handbook binds leaders first and members second. For the 鉅子 (Juzi), the 墨门理事会 Community Council, region leads, and 社长 chapter leads, it is procedure they must follow. For an ordinary Mohist it is a user's guide: what you can expect and what you can ask for.

1.3.2 Leaders may not claim a power because the Handbook is silent on it. Any power the Handbook does not grant, a leader does not have. Members have the opposite default: anything the Handbook does not forbid, you may do.

1.3.3 Any leader's reading of the Handbook can be challenged by a member using the Three Tests. Where a reading conflicts with the text, the text governs; where the text conflicts with the purpose in 1.1.1, the purpose governs.

1.3.4 You may ask your chapter lead, region lead, or the Council for the full Handbook at any time. The whole text is public at mohist.org. There is no internal edition.

1.4 Adapting for small chapters

1.4.1 This Handbook is written for a chapter of 25 to 45 members. A chapter with fewer than 15 Mohists may merge roles: one person may serve as both treasurer and records clerk, or the chapter lead may double as reading lead.

1.4.2 Three things may never be dropped when roles merge: the weekly meeting is held; care pairs are assigned; the fund statement is read at the monthly meeting.

1.4.3 A small chapter states in each quarterly report which roles are currently merged. Once it reaches 15 members, it separates them within two quarters.

1.4.4 If a chapter temporarily cannot follow a provision of this Handbook, the chapter lead tells the region lead in writing, with the reason and the expected date of recovery. This is not a fault. It is evidence. (Test: results)

1.5 Definitions

1.5.1 These terms have fixed meanings throughout the Handbook:

• The Community (墨门): the whole body, all chapters and regions.
• Mohist (墨者): a person admitted under chapter 3.
• Seeker (求学者) and friend (友): the two stages before admission, chapter 3.
• Chapter (墨社): the local unit, organized by home address, chapter 5.
• Region (墨区): a unit of five or more chapters.
• Chapter lead (社长): the person responsible for a chapter.
• 鉅子 (Juzi): the head of the Community, the title used by the leaders of the historical Mohist order.
• Community Council (墨门理事会): the Juzi and eight Council members; the highest standing body.
• Assignment (职): a specific piece of work given to each Mohist, chapter 7.
• Care pair (兼爱结对): the standing relationship between two Mohists, chapter 8.
• Care Fund (兼爱基金): the shared money of a chapter and of the Community for helping people in need, chapter 9.
• 每周一篇: the schedule of Mozi chapters read by all chapters in the same week.
• 墨辩: debate practiced under the rules of the Lesser Selection (小取).
• Monthly meeting (月会) and Assembly (兼爱大会): chapter 6.

1.5.2 In this Handbook, "must" states a rule, "may" states a permission, and "should" states guidance that is not binding. Time limits are in calendar days unless stated otherwise.