Han Feizi Jijie

Author: Wang Xianshèn (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1998-07-01
Features: The "Zishu" (Philosophical Works) are an important part of China's ancient classics. The earliest of "Zishu" emerged during the late Spring and Autumn period and the Hundred Schools of Thought in the Warring States period, many of which are precious crystallizations of ancient Chinese intellectual and cultural heritage. Throughout the entire society after the Qin and Han dynasties, numerous thinkers and scholars wrote similar works, some of which were also outstanding.
In the 1950s, Zhonghua Book Company revised and reprinted the "Collected Works of the Masters of the Hundred Schools" published by the original World Book Company before the founding of the People's Republic of China. This series of books compiled the results of Qing Dynasty scholars in collating and annotating the "Zishu," with the collation tailored to the needs of academic research. However, it did not include the new achievements of scholars in recent decades, especially after the founding of the People's Republic of China, in organizing the "Zishu." The variety of "Zishu" collected was insufficient, and there were still many errors in sentence segmentation and typesetting. Therefore, it was decided to completely revise and publish a new edition of the "Collected Works of the Masters of the Hundred Schools."
Han Feizi is the synthesizer of pre-Qin Legalist thought. He summarized the ideas of Shang Yang, Shen Buhai, and Shen Dao, proposing a legal theory that combines law, method, and power. He believed that the ruler should rely on authority and prestige, as well as a set of techniques for controlling subordinates, to ensure the implementation of laws and strengthen the ruler's position. He also inherited Xunzi's theory of human nature as evil, advocating for governance based on punishment and rewards.