Han Fei

Han Fei was a Chinese philosopher of the Warring States period whose writings combined administrative methods, political power, and law into a program for strengthening the ruler and state.

Fa (law): Public standards and laws used to regulate conduct and administer the state in ancient Chinese political thought. Han Fei treats clear, consistently enforced standards as a foundation of government.
Han Feizi: A collection of political and philosophical writings traditionally attributed to Han Fei. Its chapters develop the arguments and governing techniques associated with Han Fei.
Warring States period: The era of sustained warfare among rival Chinese states, conventionally dated from 475 to 221 BCE. Its military and political competition shaped the problems Han Fei sought to solve.
Qin Shi Huang: The king of Qin who unified China in 221 BCE and became its first emperor. His regime used centralized institutions closely associated with Han Fei’s political ideas.
Mencius: A Confucian philosopher who argued that human nature contains beginnings of moral goodness. Mencius trusts moral cultivation where Han Fei emphasizes control through law and incentives.
Shu (statecraft): Administrative techniques for assessing officials, assigning duties, and checking their performance in ancient Chinese political thought. These methods let a ruler control ministers without relying on their virtue.
Names and realities: A method of judging officials by comparing their declared duties or claims with their actual performance. This test makes officials answerable for matching their words to results.
Xunzi: A Confucian philosopher of the late Warring States period known for arguing that human nature requires deliberate cultivation. Han Fei studied with Xunzi, though he developed a sharply different political program.
Qin dynasty: The Chinese dynasty that ruled from 221 to 206 BCE after Qin unified the warring states. Its centralized government embodied several principles Han Fei defended.
Laozi: A legendary Chinese philosopher associated with the Dao De Jing and Daoist thought. Daoist non-interference contrasts with Han Fei’s active use of institutions and sanctions.

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