This excerpt is from Han Feizi · The Grand Outline. It discusses how rulers follow natural laws and grasp state‑governing fundamentals. Drawing on grand imagery, Han Fei argues a wise sovereign avoids arbitrary meddling driven by wit and desire. Instead, he establishes objective laws conforming to nature. Optimal governance brings peaceful order with no…
This excerpt comes from Han Feizi · Achievements, a pivotal chapter on the decisive role of political authority in governance. Through metaphors like short trees on high mountains, ships carrying immense weight and the contrast between Yao and Jie, Han Fei argues personal talent and virtue are secondary to positional power. Rulers must consolidate…
This excerpt is from Han Feizi · Achievements. It outlines four objective conditions for rulers to attain great feats. Rejecting Confucian over‑reliance on royal personal virtue, Han Fei puts forward a core political‑philosophical view: a ruler’s success hinges not merely on talent or morality, but on conforming to timing, public will, expertise and authority.…
This excerpt comes from Han Feizi · Employing People, a key chapter on forestalling disasters and the perils of pursuing distant solutions. Using vivid metaphors such as patching a crumbling house and distant water for a nearby fire, Han Fei argues that rulers should eliminate internal risks and employ nearby talents. Neglecting fundamentals brings…
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…
This excerpt comes from Han Feizi · Employing People, a key chapter arguing rulers should not seek far‑fetched solutions while neglecting what lies close at hand. Using hypothetical tales of King Yan and a man of Lu, Han Fei states a core political‑philosophical view: spurning native subjects to court foreigners wins no genuine loyalty,…
This passage is excerpted from Han Feizi · Employing People, the most pivotal chapter where Han Fei expounds the idea that institutions are superior to individual intellect. Through stark contrasts, he shatters the romantic illusion of “sage‑king governance” and articulates a fundamental political‑philosophical thesis: a sound institution is not a crutch for geniuses, but…