On Mo Di's ideas of frugality

The idea of frugality is a major part of Mo Di's political theories.He revealed the reality of the monarch's extorting excessive taxes and levies as well as extravagant and incontinent life by displaying all aspects of the monarch's life: dressing,eating,housing,traveling,sex,funeral and entertaining.Mo Di compared the monarchs of the time with ancient sages to explicate the practice of frugality.Mo Di's idea of frugality mainly aims at monarchs and archons. He maintained that the precondition of frugality is that average people should have enough for life necessities,and the main purpose of frugality is to make the people dress warmly and ear one's fill.If we admit that Mo Di did have some tendency of asceticism,he merely urged to prohibit the excessive desire of a minority of people in order to fulfill the basic desire of all.