Classic IV
Where profit lies, the people flock to it; where fame is displayed, scholars will die for it. Therefore, if rewards are given for achievements outside the law, superiors cannot reliably secure benefit from their subordinates; if honors are bestowed for reputations outside the law, scholars will strive for fame and will not reserve it for their ruler.
Thus, when Zhong Zhang and Xu Ji were appointed, half the people of Zhongmu abandoned their fields and gardens to follow men of letters. When Duke Ping suffered pain in his calves and numbness in his feet, he did not dare to break his seated posture, and in Jin those who declined office and claimed reclusion became as numerous as heavy hammers. These three kinds of men, if their words follow the law, are no more than the records kept in government offices; if their conduct fits ordinary affairs, they are no more than subjects who obey commands. The excessive courtesy shown to them by the two rulers was misplaced. If their words depart from the law and their conduct stands far from practical achievement, they are people outside the measuring line; what reason could the two rulers have to honor them? Such honor ought to bring ruin.
Moreover, scholars who dwell in retirement do not exert themselves in times of peace, nor do they don armor in times of danger. If they are honored, people will become slack in the work of plowing and fighting; if they are not honored, they will circulate criticisms of the ruler’s laws. When the state is secure, they become honored and prominent; when it is endangered, they undermine the authority of the public house. What advantage can a ruler gain from such retired scholars? Hence an enlightened ruler should endorse Li Ci’s assessment of the state of Zhongshan.
Note
This Legalist segment from Han Feizi ‑ Chapter 32.4 argues rewards and honors must follow legal standards. It criticizes over‑honoring reclusive scholars, warning they discourage farming‑fighting and harm state strength.
A Warring States Legalist thinker who believes governance must rest on law, rewards, punishments, and practical results rather than private reputation or excessive honor.
Law:
In Legalist thought, law is the public standard that guides behavior. Rewards and honors should only follow what the law recognizes, not a ruler’s personal preference.
Zhong Zhang and Xu Ji (中章、胥己):
Figures presented as ordinary men whose words and conduct merely matched existing rules. Han Fei criticizes rulers for treating them as extraordinary ‘sages’.
Zhongmu (中牟):
A place associated with Jin. The story shows that when rulers over honor literary scholars, peasants may abandon agriculture to pursue study.
Duke Ping of Jin (晋平公):
A ruler of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period. Here he is portrayed as overly respectful to certain scholars, even enduring physical discomfort rather than breaking proper posture.
Men who decline office and claim reclusion:
In early China, refusing official posts could become a way to gain moral prestige. Han Fei sees this as harmful if it undermines state service.
“As numerous as heavy hammers” (国之锤):
A vivid image suggesting that such people became extremely numerous and burdensome to the state.
Measuring line / rope (绳):
A carpenter’s ink line used as a metaphor for legal or moral standards. Those outside it are irregular and unreliable for governance.
Scholars in retirement (居学之士):
Intellectuals who live apart from official duties. Han Fei argues they contribute little to agriculture or warfare, the two foundations of state power in Legalist thought.
Li Ci’s assessment of Zhongshan (李疵视中山):
Li Ci observed that the ruler of Zhongshan honored reclusive scholars and common erudites. He concluded that this would make the people neglect farming and fighting, leaving the state vulnerable.
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