The Han Feizi () is an ancient Chinese text attributed to the Legalist political philosopher Han Fei.Encyclopedia of World Biography 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.Kenneth Winston p. 315. Singapore Journal of Legal Studies 313–347. The Internal Morality of Chinese Legalism. http://law.nus.edu.sg/sjls/articles/SJLS-2005-313.pdf
Often considered the "culminating" or "greatest" Legalist texts, Han Fei was dubbed by A. C. Graham amongst as the "great synthesizer" of 'Legalism'". Hu Shi 1930: 480–48, also quoted in Pines, Yuri 2014 Birth of an Empire: The State of Qin revisited 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.Zhuge Liang cited in ; ; Current Shen Buhai reference is less strong, but Han Feizi is rooted in Shen's administrative doctrine regardless; Shen does not imply Han Fei, but Han Fei implies Shen
Title and transmission The Han Feizi was originally simply named the Hanzi (Master Han). The title was expanded to Han Feizi during the Tang dynasty, possibly to avoid confusion with the Confucian poet Han Yu. Not including critical edition commentary, it appears to have always been considered properly the same length of 55 p'ien since the time of its listing in the Hanshu's catalogue. A few sources list it as one p'ien longer, but was likely just copyist error. There are slightly shorter editions, but these did not have serious losses, and went out of print inside China after it was restored to full length.
Two of the text's Laozi commentaries, 20-21, have generally been considered addendums due to "considerable ideological, lexical, and stylistic differences". This says nothing as to the date of their authorship or addition however, with no chapter demonstrating knowledge of Qin unification.
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 () 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, [who] were 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.".2018 Henrique Schneider. p.vii. An Introduction to Hanfei's Political Philosophy: The Way of the Ruler.
Laozi
The modern version of the Daodejing (Laozi) is thought to have existed by the late Warring States period, even by late estimates, and was popular by that time. Though the Han Feizi's arguments more commonly references past events, it could be expected to reference it. Apart from its later commentaries, it gives a prominent if brief place to Laozi in "core ideological chapters", “The Way of the Sovereign” (Ch.5) and “Extolling Authority” (Ch.8).
An interpretation of the Daodejing as simply cynically political would be flawed. Still, together with qigong, it can be viewed as a manual for politics and military strategy, emphasizing quietude and lack as wu wei. A central concept of later-termed Daoism, together especially with the early Daodejing, Shen Buhai, Han Fei, Zhuangzi, and so-called Huang-Lao Daoism all have wu wei as a governmental function, emphasizing the political usages and advantages of reduced activity as a method of control for survival, social stability, long life, and rule, refraining from action in-order to take advantage of favorable developments in affairs.
Chapter 5 of the Han Feizi focuses on what would today be a later chapter. While not necessarily older "original" versions, the Han Feizi's authors likely read from a more political version, with a different order of chapters. Found in the tomb of a "powerful member of the ruling class", in contrast to its modern representation, the Laozi of the Mawangdui Silk Texts, and two of the three earlier Guodian Chu Slips, place political commentaries, or "ruling the state", first, swapping the two halves of the text as known today. Arguably lacking in metaphysics, associated content instead includes mythologies.
Late pre-Han dating Sima Qian presents Han Fei as a late Warring states period figure. Because Sima Qian only mentions a few chapters, it is not possible to outright preclude a later 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. Alongside Zheng Liangshu and Jiang Chongyue, Lundahl's scholarship was notable in collecting and reviewing Chinese scholarship, examining the authorship and dating of the Han Feizi's chapters. His work has still been recalled modernly.
Except as compilations, some chapters would have to be at least as late as the late Warring States period. 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 236bce. Seemingly written from the context of the late Han state, the chapter could still conceivably have preceded Han's fall in 230bce, or that of either Zhao or Wei if they had yet only ceded territory.
Post-Xunzi text Putting aside the traditional claim of Xun Kuang as a teacher of Han Fei, the Han Feizi would arguably still be a post-Xunzi text. The Han Feizi's writing on Shen Buhai likely post-date the Xunzi, with Shen Buhai, Xunzi and then Han Feizi being successively more technically complex.
The Han Feizi is the first preserved reference for writings associated with Shang Yang outside Qin, with the Book of Lord Shang possibly going into broad circulation late in the period. The Han Feizi's writings on Shang Yang come after Xunzi, inasmuch as the Han Feizi is the first known text outside Qin which introduces Shang Yang as a 'philosopher of government'.
The Xunzi references and critiques a variety of figures, including Shen Buhai and Shen Dao. But it only seems familiar Shang Yang as a renowned military leader who strengthened Qin. Though familiar with Shen Dao, what remains of the Zhuangzi is not familiar with a Legalist school either.
Laozi commentaries ch.20-21 Using Laozi to illustrate its own ideas similar to other early commentaries like the Xiang'er, the Han Feizi's chapters five or eight are not as academic as later Laozi commentaries in trying to illustrate the Daodejing's actual meaning. Translator W.K. Liao (1939) did consider the Han Feizi's Chapter 20 "Commentaries on Lao Tzŭ's Teachings" academically thorough.
Given differences from the rest of the Han Feizi, Lundahl considered the Commentaries 20-21 addendums written by different authors. But they need not be of later Han dynasty origin. The Han Feizi's Laozi content would have written and added in the same period - one in which the editors thought that rulers would be interested in commentaries on Laozi. Containing the earliest commentaries on the Tao te Ching (Laozi), early Chinese scholarship agreed with a late dating for the Han Feizi's Laozi commentaries Ch.20-21, but was questioned discovery of the Mawangdui silk texts, following Sima Qian's assertion that Han Fei was based in Huang-Lao (Daoism).
Although not necessarily the "original" Daodejing, the Han Feizi is probably generally reading from an early, more political, and less metaphysical version, like that of the Mawangdui. As idealist works, the commentaries can be argued to have earlier ideas. Sinologists Hansen, Tang Junyi and A.C. Graham related the commentaries as developing out of the late Warring States Guanzi ("Seven Standards" chapter), but as including its earlier incorporated Neiye. While it would not suggest they were written by the Han Fei of Sima Qian, Lundalh argued they bare more resemblance to the earlier Mencius than late Warring States Xun Kuang or other parts of the Han Feizi, placing less emphasis on ceremony than the "innermost heart".
Confucian comparison Some authors of the Han Feizi took a negative view of Confucianism. Chapter 19 for criticizes filial piety as a primary value, since a ruler's mother can still murder him. Yuri Pines believed that the Han Feizi criticized the political limitations of filial piety, but did not believe the Han Fei completely rejected values like filial piety and loyalty, generally accepting their status as primary values.
Chapter 20 goes on to use filial piety and loyalty in its own argument, saying that other people are just not properly investing them. Pairing monarchic and parental authority, it says that dynastic founders who violated them, betraying previous rulers or ceding the throne to worthier candidates, should be censured as detrimental to monarchism. Taken as values "affirmed by all under heaven", while not exclusively Confucian, moral social order and monarchism are based on otherwise Confucian values of "filiality, fraternity, and loyalty" with the addition of compliance.
As compared with the Han Feizi, much of the early Legalist 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.