Han Feizi lived from approximately 280 to 233 BCE, a Chinese philosopher of royal Han lineage and the foremost systematizer of Legalist, or Fajia, thought, gathering and extending the ideas of earlier reformers such as Shang Yang into the text that bears his name. He argued that a ruler should govern through clear, publicly promulgated law applied impartially regardless of rank, reinforced by strict administrative technique and the ruler's exclusive hold on the levers of reward and punishment, a philosophy that decisively influenced the legal and administrative structure of the unified Qin empire.
Facts
RoleLegal philosopher; systematizer of Chinese Legalism 1 Nationality / JurisdictionState of Han (ancient China) 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Sources
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Han-FeiziQuote, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Han-Feizi
A member of the ruling family of Han, he studied under the Confucian philosopher Xunzi but then deserted him to follow another school of thought more germane to the conditions accompanying the collapse of the feudal system in his time. His essays on autocratic government impressed Qin Shi Huang, who adopted their principles after seizing power in 221 BCE.
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.In Legal System: Traditional Chinese Legal TraditionView the Source Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
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