Rulers must employ the seven tactics and observe the six subtle situations.
The Seven Methods are: first, comparing and verifying from multiple perspectives; second, imposing certain punishments to make authority clear; third, granting rewards with absolute credibility to exhaust the abilities of his ministers; fourth, listening to reports individually to hold subordinates accountable; fifth, issuing dubious edicts and employing devious missions to test them; sixth, asking questions while already knowing the answers to test their honesty; and seventh, speaking contrary words and doing opposite deeds to probe their true intentions.
These seven are the methods employed by a ruler.
Note
This excerpt is from Han Feizi · Inner Congeries of Sayings I, featuring Han Fei’s famous “Seven Tactics” for controlling ministers. Offering a systematic toolkit in concise language, he argues rulers must resolve information asymmetry and interest conflicts via multi‑source verification, strict rewards‑penalties and covert psychological probes to secure absolute sway over subordinates.
The Seven Methods / Seven Stratagems:
This is the operational core of Han Fei’s political philosophy. Unlike Confucianism, which relies on moral cultivation, Han Fei’s “Seven Methods” provide a highly pragmatic, almost Machiavellian toolkit for managing subordinates. They address the fundamental problem of “information asymmetry” between the ruler and his ministers.
Comparing and Verifying from Multiple Perspectives:
Han Fei argues that relying on a single channel of information inevitably leads to being deceived. A ruler must triangulate information from multiple independent sources to discover the truth. This is an ancient formulation of the principle of checks and balances in information gathering.
Certain Punishments for Authority & Credible Rewards for Ability:
These two methods represent the “Two Handles” of Legalist governance: punishment and reward. Han Fei insists that both must be absolute and predictable. If punishments are not certain, the law loses its deterrence; if rewards are not credible, people will not exert their full effort.
Dubious Edicts, Knowing Questions, Contrary Words:
These last three methods represent Han Fei’s psychological warfare against his own ministers. Because ministers will naturally try to manipulate the ruler by telling him what he wants to hear, the ruler must use deception, traps, and reverse psychology to uncover their true loyalties and hidden agendas. This reflects the deep paranoia and absolute distrust inherent in Legalist statecraft.
The Six Subtle Situations to Observe:
While not detailed in this specific paragraph, “The Six Subtle Situations” refers to six hidden dangers that threaten the ruler’s power, such as ministers usurping authority, having conflicting interests with the ruler, or forming factions. The “Seven Methods” are the proactive tools to prevent these “Six Subtle Situations” from materializing.
主之所用也七术，所察也六微。七术：一曰众端参观，二曰必罚明威，三曰信赏尽能，四曰一听责下，五曰疑诏诡使，六曰挟知而问，七曰倒言反事。此七者，主之所用也。
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