Legalist's magic management: The power and influence of leaders

Author: Cao Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Han Feizi was a noble of the State of Han during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and a disciple of the Confucian master Xunzi. At that time, various states had undergone reforms, and the centralized political and legal systems had taken shape. Living amidst these reforms, Han Feizi believed that the benevolence and morality advocated by Confucianism were outdated. Rulers should seek new methods of governance based on human selfish nature, which is the fundamental proposition of Legalism. As the Legalist school of thought gradually matured, Han Feizi integrated the ideas of Legalists such as Shang Yang, Shen Buhai, and Shen Dao, while also drawing on the doctrines of Confucianism and Taoism. Thus, he proposed a comprehensive theory of "Fa, Shu, Shi." Han Feizi can be said to be the synthesizer of Legalist theory.