If one abandons the target and shoots blindly, even if one happens to hit a tiny mark, it cannot be considered skillful. If one abandons laws and institutions and rages arbitrarily, even if one slaughters people, the wicked will not be afraid. When a crime is committed by A but the disaster falls upon B, hidden resentments will inevitably fester.
Therefore, in a state of ultimate good governance, there are rewards and punishments, but no personal joy or anger; thus, the sage reaches the pinnacle of order. There are penal laws resulting in death, but no venomous malice; thus, the wicked submit. When an arrow hits the bullseye and rewards and punishments perfectly match the law, it is as if Yao were reborn and Yi the Archer were restored.
When this is achieved, the ruler above will not suffer the ruin of the Yin and Xia dynasties, and the ministers below will not face the tragedy of Bi Gan. The ruler may rest on a high pillow while the ministers take joy in their duties; the Way will cover heaven and earth, and virtue will extend to ten thousand generations.
Note
This excerpt is from Han Feizi · Employing People, a pivotal chapter on the objectivity and de‑emotionalization of the rule of law. With the apt metaphor of archery and references to Yao, Hou Yi and Bi Gan, Han Fei presents a core political‑philosophical view: genuine rule of law must free itself from a ruler’s personal passions. Only when rewards and punishments strike true like arrows can a state attain perfect governance.
Yao:
The legendary sage king, universally regarded as the epitome of wisdom and virtue in ancient Chinese mythology. Han Fei uses him as the ultimate benchmark for a perfectly ordered, objective, and fair legal system.
Yi the Archer:
A legendary divine archer in Chinese mythology, said to have shot down nine of ten suns that were scorching the earth. His skill with the bow was so perfect that “no arrow missed its mark.” Han Fei uses him as a metaphor for the absolute precision and objectivity of a well-functioning legal system.
Bi Gan:
An uncle of the last king of the Shang Dynasty, who repeatedly remonstrated with the tyrant and was ultimately executed – his heart was reportedly cut out to “see if a sage’s heart had seven chambers.” He became the ultimate symbol of the loyal minister who is unjustly destroyed by a ruler’s arbitrary wrath. Han Fei uses him to illustrate the fatal consequences of emotional governance.
The Yin and Xia Dynasties:
The Shang (Yin) and Xia dynasties, whose last rulers (King Zhou and King Jie) became infamous as archetypal tyrants in Chinese history. Their collapse serves as the ultimate cautionary tale of what happens when a ruler abandons objective law for personal tyranny.
Abandoning the target and shooting blindly:
This is Han Fei’s master metaphor for the rule of law. The target represents objective legal standards. Shooting without a target might occasionally hit something by luck, but it lacks true skill. Similarly, punishing without legal standards might occasionally catch a criminal, but it destroys the legitimacy of the justice system.
Crime committed by A, disaster falls upon B:
This phrase captures the ultimate injustice of arbitrary justice. When punishments are based on the ruler’s mood rather than facts, the guilty escape while the innocent suffer. This inevitably breeds systemic resentment and eventual rebellion.
Rewards and punishments exist, but no personal joy or anger:
This is Han Fei’s core definition of the rule of law. A legal system must be entirely divorced from the ruler’s subjective emotions. The law is an objective machine; the ruler is merely its operator.
No venomous malice:
“螫毒” (shì dú) literally means the venom of a scorpion or poisonous insect. Han Fei uses this vivid imagery to describe punishments inflicted out of personal hatred or vindictiveness. In a well-governed state, executions are carried out as a matter of law, not as an act of personal vengeance.
Rewards and punishments perfectly match the law (赏罚当符):
“符” (fú) refers to a tally-seal, a split wooden or jade token used in ancient China as a guarantee of authenticity. When two halves match perfectly, it proves legitimacy. In the history, the State of Zhao was once besieged by Qin, Lord Xinling of Wei stole the imperial tiger talisman or tally – a military token for troop command. He seized Wei’s army and marched to aid Zhao. His forces defeated Qin and lifted Zhao’s siege.
Han Fei uses this to argue that justice must be mathematically precise – the punishment must exactly correspond to the crime, just as the two halves of a tally-seal must align perfectly.
The ruler rests on a high pillow while the ministers take joy in their duties:
“Resting on a high pillow” is a Chinese idiom meaning to be free from worry, to sleep soundly without fear. This is the ultimate reward of the rule of law: when the system is objective and fair, neither the ruler nor the subjects need to live in fear of arbitrary violence.
释仪的而妄发，虽中小不巧；释法制而妄怒，虽杀戮而奸人不恐。罪生甲，祸归乙，伏怨乃结。故至治之国，有赏罚而无喜怒。故圣人极有刑法，而死无螫毒，故奸人服。发矢中的，赏罚当符，故尧复生，羿复立。如此，则上无殷、夏之患，下无比干之祸，君高枕而臣乐业，道蔽天地，德极万世矣。
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