先秦之際，墨家墨子提出「三表法」做為判斷言論是非及行為效用的論證準則。「三表法」，乃取法往聖先賢的行為事蹟、注重現實的經驗與實施成效。它是三條證明的程序或方法，也是人在行義為政或立論時所依循的三條原理，墨學十論俱依此而成立，乃前期墨家最具代表性之論證法則。「三表法」，揭示「法」是客觀判斷的標準，影響法家韓非子法治思想的建立。就哲學方法而言，具有開創的意義；相較於後期墨家的辯學，顯得較為簡略，仍有缺陷。然而，「三表法」代表了科學思想的萌發、實證的精神和邏輯的特徵，對學術文化影響深遠廣泛。

In the Pre-Chin era, Moutz proposed Three Methods for the demonstration of judging what was right and what was wrong. Three Methods followed the example of sages and men of virtue and paid attention to the effects. There were three principal procedures for people's administration and argument. Mohist Ten Theories, the principal demonstration of proof, were constructed on the basis of Three Methods. They announced that Law was the standard of objective judgment, and affected the construction of Han-Fei-tz's thoughts. It created a new situation in aspect of the methodology. Comparing with Mo Pien (墨辯), it was simple and defective. However, Three Methods represented science, positivism, and logic. It affected academic circles continuously, deeply, and extensively.