Mohist Miscellany: Inner and Outer

At Mohist Hill, disciples are split into the inner and the outer sects. The inner sect digs into deep, long-term knowledge, while the outer sect focuses on practical device-making to serve the people. Most assume this division reflects talent: the inner sect as gifted scholars, the outer sect as lesser. But that's a misconception. During the Later Zhou's Guangshun era, an outer disciple surnamed Mo beat several elders in mechanical contests three times straight, earning their respect. His mechanisms were built for utility, their forms rugged and unrefined, a style once despised by the Inner Sect. Yet after his triumph, his fame soared, and this "brutalist" aesthetic became an overnight sensation. Though the story's mostly forgotten now, its influence still remains.