This excerpt is from Explanation Two in Han Feizi · Inner Congeries of Sayings I, elaborating on “Canon Two: Certain Punishment”. Deterrence lies not in cruelty but in the certainty of penalty. Only when violations bring unavoidable consequences can the law establish its inviolable authority.
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.