When people fall ill, they value physicians; when facing misfortune, they fear ghosts. When sages rule above, people have few desires. With few desires, their vital energy is balanced; with rational conduct, they suffer little harm. Free from internal illnesses and external legal punishment, people greatly disregard ghosts. Hence the saying: “When one governs the world by the Dao, ghosts lose their power to harm.”
In an ordered age, ghosts do not harm people. Hence: “It is not that ghosts lose power, but their power does not injure humans.”
Ghost‑infliction means ghosts harm humans; exorcism means humans harm ghosts. People breaking laws harm the ruler; rulers punishing people harm the people. If people abide by laws, rulers apply no punishment – meaning rulers do not harm people. Hence: “Sages also do not harm the people.”
When ruler and people do not harm one another, and humans and ghosts do not injure each other, this is called “mutual non‑harm.” If people dare not break laws, rulers impose no internal punishment and seize no external wealth from people. Then people multiply and prosper with abundant stores, which is called possessing virtue.
Ghost‑infliction means the soul departs and spirit is disordered, and disordered spirit loses virtue. If ghosts do not afflict people, souls remain intact and spirits unconfused – this is virtue. When rulers enrich people’s stores and ghosts do not disturb their spirits, virtue fully belongs to the people. Hence: “When neither side harms the other, virtue converges upon them both.” This means virtue flourishes above and below and returns to the people altogether.
Note
This passage transforms metaphysical Daoist thought into political pragmatism: good governance reduces punishment and exploitation, stabilizes people’s lives, eliminates ghostly superstition, and lets prosperity and virtue benefit all people.
Late Warring‑States Legalist philosopher. This passage is excerpted from Explaining Laozi (Jie Lao), his commentary on the Dao De Jing. He rationalizes Daoist ghost‑related ideas into secular Legalist governance theory.
Governance by the Dao
The Daoist phrase is re‑defined by Han Fei as rational rule with reduced punishment, stable livelihood and restrained exploitation of the people.
Ghosts as Secondary to Human Order
Han Fei demystifies ghosts: supernatural harm only exists when human society is disordered. Well‑governed societies are free from both legal cruelty and ghostly fear.
Mutual Non‑harm
Includes two pairs: ruler‑people and human‑ghost. Political harmony replaces supernatural anxiety.
Virtue Returning to the People
Virtue is interpreted as material prosperity and population growth, a practical Legalist‑style definition rather than abstract moral goodness.
人處疾則貴醫，有禍則畏鬼。聖人在上則民少欲，民少欲則血氣治，而舉動理則少禍害。夫內無痤疽癉痔之害，而外無刑罰法誅之禍者，其輕恬鬼也甚，故曰：「以道蒞天下，其鬼不神。」治世之民不與鬼神相害也，故曰：「非其鬼不神也，其神不傷人也。」鬼崇也疾人之謂鬼傷人，人逐除之之謂人傷鬼也；民犯法令之謂民傷上，上刑戮民之謂上傷民；民不犯法則上亦不行刑，上不行刑之謂上不傷人；故曰：「聖人亦不傷民。」上不與民相害，而人不與鬼相傷，故曰：「兩不相傷。」民不敢犯法，則上內不用刑罰，而外不事利其產業，上內不用刑罰、而外不事利其產業則民蕃息，民蕃息而畜積盛，民蕃息而畜積盛之謂有德。凡所謂崇者，魂魄去而精神亂，精神亂則無德。鬼不崇人則魂魄不去，魂魄不去而精神不亂，精神不亂之謂有德。上盛畜積，而鬼不亂其精神，則德盡在於民矣。故曰：「兩不相傷，則德交歸焉。」言其德上下交盛而俱歸於民也。
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