Classic VI: Asking While Knowing the Answer (Testing with Known Facts) If a ruler asks questions while already possessing the knowledge of the truth, those who are dishonest will be exposed; if a ruler thoroughly understands one specific matter, all hidden treacheries will be transformed. The proof of this lies in Marquis Zhao clutching…
This excerpt is from “Canon Two: Inevitable Punishment” in Han Feizi · Inner Congeries of Sayings I. Han Fei holds that mercy poisons the rule of law. Unless penalties are certain – lawbreakers are caught and punished – decrees become hollow. Laws must gain inviolable authority through absolute certainty.