Han Feizi Jiji—Xinbian Zhuzi Jicheng (Xinban)

Author: Wang Xianshen (Qing Dynasty), edited and annotated by Zhong Zhe
Publisher:
Publication Date: Not available
Features: The "Zi" books are an important part of China's ancient classics. The earliest of "Zi" books emerged during the late Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period when the Hundred Schools of Thought were flourishing, many of which are precious crystallizations of ancient Chinese thought and culture. After the Qin and Han dynasties, numerous thinkers and scholars wrote similar works, including many outstanding ones. 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 "Zi" books, making them suitable for academic research needs. 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 "Zi" books. The variety of "Zi" books included was not sufficient, and there were still many errors in sentence segmentation and typesetting. Therefore, it was decided to re-edit and publish a new "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, technique, 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 that governance should be based on punishment and rewards.