Hanfeizi Or Han Feizi, Qing Dynasty, Hunan Museum

The ''Han Feizi'' () is an ancient Chinese text attributed to the Legalist political philosopher Han Fei. It comprises a selection of essays in the Legalist tradition, elucidating theories of state power, and synthesizing the methodologies of his predecessors. Its 55 chapters, most of which date to the Warring States period , are the only such text to survive fully intact. The Han Feizi is believed to contain the first commentaries on the ''Dao De Jing''. Traditionally associated with the Qin dynasty, succeeding emperors and reformers were still influenced by Shen Buhai and the Han Feizi, with Shang Yang's current again coming to prominence in the time of Emperor Wu.

Often considered the "culminating" or "greatest" Legalist texts, Han Fei was dubbed by A. C. Graham amongst as the "great synthesizer" of 'Legalism'". Sun Tzu's ''The Art of War'' incorporates both a Daoist philosophy of inaction and impartiality, and a 'Legalist' system of punishment and rewards, recalling Han Fei's use of the concepts of power and technique.

Among the most important philosophical classics in ancient China, it touches on administration, diplomacy, war and economics, and is also valuable for its abundance of anecdotes about pre- Qin China. Though differing considerably in style, the coherency of the essays lend themselves to the possibility that much was written by Han Fei himself, and are generally considered more philosophically engaging than the '' Book of Lord Shang''. Zhuge Liang is said to have attached great importance to the Han Feizi, as well as to Han Fei's predecessor Shen Buhai.

Late pre-Han dating

Sima Qian presents Han Fei as a late Warring states figure. Because Sima Qian only mentions a few chapters, it is not possible to outright preclude a Han dynasty origin for the entire work, but it does not mention any Han dynasty events, or avoid any Han dynasty taboos that would prohibit a late Warring States dating.

Except as compilations, some chapters would have to be at least that late. Chapters 6 and 19 recall the fall of several late Warring states period states. Chapter 6's memorial on Having Regulations recalls the fall of Wey in 243bce. Chapter 19's Taking Measures recalls Qin's conquest of Ye from the Zhao, dated to 236bc. Seemingly written from the context of the late Han state, the chapter could still have conceivably preceded its fall in 230bc, or either Zhao and Wei if they had only yet ceded territory.

Containing some of the first commentaries on the Tao te Ching (Laozi), Chinese scholarship agreed with the west on a late dating for Laozi content in the work. But it also does not contain as much naturalist argument that would be expected of later Daoist works going into the Han dynasty. The Han Feizi itself contributes to a late dating for the modern tao te ching. The Han Feizi is probably reading from an earlier, less metaphysical version, like the Mawangdui silk texts.

Introduction

Han Fei describes an interest-driven human nature together with the political methodologies to work with it in the interest of the state and Sovereign, namely, engaging in passive observation, and the systematic use of '' fa'' ( zh, c=法, p=fǎ, labels=no, l=law', 'measurement) to maintain leadership and manage human resources, its use to increase welfare, and its relation with justice.

Rather than rely too much on worthies, who might not be trustworthy, Han Fei binds their programs to systematic reward and penalty (the 'two handles'), fishing the subjects of the state by feeding them with interests. That being done, the ruler minimizes his own input, intending to make no judgement apart from observances of the facts. Like Shang Yang and other ''fa'' philosophers, he admonishes the ruler not to abandon ''fa'' for any other means, considering it a more practical means for the administration of both a large territory and personnel near at hand.

Han Fei's philosophy proceeds from the regicide of his era. Sinologist Goldin writes: "Most of what appears in the ''Han Feizi'' deals with the ruler's relations with his ministers, howere regarded as the party most likely, in practice, to cause him harm." Han Fei quotes the ''Springs and Autumns of Tao Zuo'': "'Less than half of all rulers die of illness.' If the ruler of men is unaware of this, disorders will be manifold and unrestrained. Thus it is said: If those who benefit from a lord's death are many, the ruler will be imperiled.".

Confucian comparison

As compared with the Han Feizi, much of the early Book of Lord Shang is more focused on state power in relation to the general populace, emphasizing agriculture and war. It only really starts to develop ideas of managing ministers later in the work. A notable example, Chapter 24's "Interdicts and Encouragements", begins to develop ideas on power similar to Shen Dao, but is very late in the work and also of likely later dating than its earlier chapters.

Some authors of the Han Feizi took a negative view of Confucianism, and the work has little interest in them as scholars or philosophers. However, at least compared with the Book of Lord Shang, the Han Feizi is arguably still of more Confucian orientation even if it incorporates reward and punishment. Although its much later administrative mechanisms are more complex, the Han Feizi has bureaucratic system of names (roles) that can be still compared with the much earlier Confucian rectification of names, and is more focused on forbidding and encouraging ministers who, rather than the stratocracy of the Book of Lord Shang, may very well be Confucians themselves.

Although the Han Feizi advocates law, it also criticizes Shang Yang in much the same way that the Confucians critique law. Holding that laws cannot practice themselves, it blames him for too much reliance on law. Substituting the Confucian argument for virtuous worthies with administrative methods, some originating in Shen Buhai, the Han Feizi says of Shang Yang's Qin state: "Although the laws were rigorously implemented by the officials, the ruler at the apex lacked methods."

''Wu wei''

Devoting the entirety of Chapter 14, "How to Love the Ministers", to "persuading the ruler to be ruthless to his ministers", Han Fei's enlightened ruler strikes terror into his ministers by doing nothing (''wu wei''). Discarding his private reason and morality, he shows no personal feelings. The qualities of a ruler, his "mental power, moral excellence and physical prowess" are not as important as his method of government. Applying ''Fa'' (standards) requires no perfection on the part of the ruler.

If the Han Feizi's ''wu wei'' was derivative of a proto-Daoism, its Dao nonetheless emphasizes autocracy ("Tao does not identify with anything but itself, the ruler does not identify with the ministers"). Accepting that the Han Feizi applies ''wu wei'' specifically to statecraft, professor Xing Lu nonetheless argues that it actually does consider ''wu wei'' a virtue, and not just a tool or argument for the ruler to reduce activity and act impartially. The Han Feizi says, "by virtue de''">de_(philosophy).html" ;"title="'de (philosophy)">de''of resting empty and reposed, he waits for the course of nature to enforce itself."

With visible usages of Xing-Ming, the Han Feizi's chapter 5 Zhudao () or "Way of the Ruler" recalls Daodejing">Laozi