If a ruler personally inspects every official one by one, he will lack time and energy. Moreover, if the ruler relies on his eyes, subordinates will disguise their appearance; if he relies on his ears, they will polish their words; if he relies on his judgment, they will confuse him with verbose rhetoric.
The ancient sage‑kings knew these three personal faculties were insufficient. Therefore they abandoned personal ability, relied on laws and statecraft, and carefully enforced rewards and punishments.
By grasping essential principles, sage‑kings kept laws concise and protected royal authority from infringement. Ruling the whole realm alone, the ruler prevents cunning people from practicing fraud, sinister and impetuous people from spreading slander, and wicked officials from finding shelter.
Even officials a thousand li away dare not alter their reports arbitrarily. Close attendants at court dare not hide good deeds or gloss over faults. All ministers report facts truthfully without overstepping their duties.
Thus governance is achieved effortlessly with ample spare time, all because the ruler wields his supreme power.
Note
This passage advocates rule by law and power rather than personal observation, showing that institutional control is more effective than individual supervision in maintaining monarchical authority.
Representative Legalist thinker of the late Warring States Period. This passage comes from *On Measuring Standards (You Du)*, emphasizing institutional governance over personal supervision.
Limitations of Personal Inspection
Han Fei points out that individual senses (sight, hearing, thinking) are unreliable for rulers, because subordinates can manipulate appearance, speech and information. Personal supervision leads to inefficiency and deception.
Law and Statecraft
Core Legalist governance tools: objective laws and hidden political techniques replace personal wisdom. Strict reward‑punishment ensures obedience.
Supreme Power
Rulers must hold supreme authority. Power, not personal talent, controls officials both near and far, preventing cover‑ups and fraud.
Centralized Institutional Control
The Legalist ideal: govern by systems rather than personal effort, so the ruler achieves stable rule with minimal labor.
夫为人主而身察百官，则日不足，力不给。且上用目，则下饰观；上用耳，则下饰声；上用虑，则下繁辞。先王以三者为不足，故舍己能而因法数，审赏罚。先王之所守要，故法省而不侵。独制四海之内，聪智不得用其诈，险躁不得关其佞，奸邪无所依。远在千里外，不敢易其辞；势在郎中，不敢蔽善饰非；朝廷群下，直凑单微，不敢相逾越。故治不足而日有馀，上之任势使然之。
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