If artisans frequently change trades, they lose their skill; if laborers are constantly moved, they waste their efforts.
For one worker, losing half a day each day amounts to the labor of five people over ten days. For ten‑thousand workers, it equals fifty‑thousand‑man labor over ten days. Thus, the more people involved in frequently shifting tasks, the greater the loss.
Every change in law alters interests and harms; altered interests make people shift their occupations, which is equivalent to changing trades.
Therefore logically: governing masses with constant disturbance yields little achievement; moving precious treasures repeatedly causes damage; stirring small fish while cooking ruins their flavor; governing a large state with frequent legal changes torments the people.
Hence wise rulers value stability and avoid frequent legal reform. Therefore the saying goes: “Governing a large state is like cooking small fish.”
Note
This passage delivers a key Legalist‑Daoist governance rule: law must remain stable; frequent legal changes harm people and waste national strength. Wise rulers practice stability and minimal policy disturbance.
Late Warring‑States Legalist philosopher. This passage is from Explaining Laozi (Jie Lao), his commentary on the Dao De Jing. He re‑interprets Daoist non‑interference as Legalist policy of stable, unchanging law.
Governing a Large State Is Like Cooking Small Fish
Famous Daoist political maxim. Han Fei interprets “not stirring” as not frequently revising laws, rather than pure inaction.
Stable Law as Core Governance
A central Legalist principle: consistent law maintains social order; frequent legal change disrupts people’s livelihood and national productivity.
Productivity‑Loss Metaphor
Artisan/laborer productivity loss is used to quantify social harm from policy instability, showing Han Fei’s pragmatic economic‑political reasoning.
工人數變業則失其功，作者數搖徙則亡其功。一人之作，日亡半日，十日則亡五人之功矣。萬人之作，日亡半日，十日則亡五萬人之功矣。然則數變業者，其人彌眾，其虧彌大矣。凡法令更則利害易，利害易則民務變，務變之謂變業。故以理觀之，事大眾而數搖之則少成功，藏大器而數徙之則多敗傷，烹小鮮而數撓之則賊其澤，治大國而數變法則民苦之，是以有道之君貴靜，不重變法，故曰：「治大國者若烹小鮮。」
Leave a Reply