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280 BCE – 233 BCE Pinyin Hanfeizi was a Chinese legalist philosopher and a prince of the State of Han during the warring states period. His works focused on how government should function and treat its subjects. Zi is added after the name to denote that he was a scholar of distinguishment.

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or school of law is a way of thinking in that humans are naturally chaotic so they need rules and governance to prevent evilness.

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"His philosophy centered on the authority of the ruler, who was to maintain firm control using three concepts, fa (laws), shu (administrative techniques), and shi (authority)."

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(Chinese: 勢; literally “legitimacy, power or charisma”): "It is the position of the ruler, not the ruler himself or herself, that holds the power. Therefore, analysis of the trends, the context, and the facts are essential for a real ruler."

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(Chinese: 術; literally “method, tactic or art”): "Special tactics and “secrets” are to be employed by the ruler to make sure others don’t take over control of the state. Especially important is that no one can fathom the ruler’s motivations, and thus no one can know which behaviour might help them getting ahead; except for following the 法 or laws."

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Han Fei synthesized works from previous legalist philosophers and then expanded upon them. He added a ton of his own knowledge and ideas. "Among his works were Gu fen (Solitary indignation), Wu wei (Five vermin), Nei chu (Inner collected sayings), Wai chu (Outer collected sayings), Shuo lin (Collection of persuasions), and Shuo nan (On the difficulties of persuasion)."

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(Chinese: 法; literally “law or principle”): "The law code must be clearly written and made public. All people under the ruler were equal before the law. Laws should reward those who obey them and punish accordingly those who dare to break them. Thus it is guaranteed that actions taken are systematically predictable. In addition, the system of law ran the state, not the ruler, a statement of rule of law. If the law is successfully enforced, even a weak ruler will be strong."

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Not to be confused with his written views titled The Han Feizi which outline how to rule. It was a complete collection of his legal theories and practices. His thoughts were so impressive that the emperor of the time adopted them

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Wu-wei – translated to doing nothing. Try to surrender yourself to nature and let it take control of you. Go with the ebb and flow. Painters will practice wu-wei by becoming engrossed in the task that it becomes mindless.

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Han Fei took what he was taught and expanded the subject. It reminds me of a scientific approach where theories are tested through experiment and observation. I disagree with his principal of reward and punishment or two handles approach. I think that drive and ambition can play a much bigger role in accomplishing a great deed rather than a fear of repercussions or a potential bonus. On the other hand I think Wu-Wei is a great way to live life and actively try to practice it. Trying to let go of attachments and daily interactions leads to an overall better well being.

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Han Fei was ousted from his position in government when an opposing system took power. His ideals clashed with the new governing power. Since he was seen as a prominent figure He was given the choice of death by horrible torture or to drink poison. He decided on the latter.

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A common comparison to this ideal is that you can motivate a horse with a carrot or stick. Rulers control their subjects through reward and punishment. The goal is to increase the productivity of the worker. Some workers will respond better to a bonus while others need stern guidance to accomplish tasks.

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Hsiao, K.-chuan. (n.d.). Han feizi. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Han-Feizi.

Kuo, K. (2021, May 6). China's heart of darkness. SupChina. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://supchina.com/podcast/chinas-heart-of-darkness/.

National Library of China. (1970, January 1). Works of Han Feizi. WDL RSS. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.wdl.org/en/item/17857/.

Watson, B. (n.d.). Han Feizi - University of Hawaii System. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from http://www2.hawaii.edu/~freeman/courses/phil301/13.%20Han%20Feizi.pdf.