Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
This Legalist‑oriented essay uses Lü Buwei’s downfall to argue gratitude is an unreliable investment. Genuine feelings cannot guarantee returns; dependable claims need binding structural leverage instead of mere emotional obligation.
This Han Feizi ‑ Chapter 40 debates Shen Dao’s “shi” (positional‑power). It argues relying solely on power or sage‑rulers fails; ordinary middling rulers need both power and law to sustain stable political order.
The “Methods of Shen and Han” refers to the statecraft advocated by Shen Buhai and Han Fei, two leading figures of the Legalist school during the Warring States period. Han Fei synthesized Shang Yang’s emphasis on fa (law), Shen Buhai’s focus on shu (statecraft or administrative method), and Shen Dao’s doctrine of shi (power…
This commentary on Zhuangzi ‑ Tian Xia, an early pre‑Qin philosophical survey, assesses major schools including Mohism, Lao‑Dan’s Daoism and Hui Shi’s sophism. It laments how the complete ancient Way fragmented into partial one‑sided doctrines.
This page covers The World, Zhuangzi’s final chapter, an early survey of pre‑Qin thought. It laments the fragmentation of the unified ancient Way, reviews major schools, and assesses thinkers including Mozi, Laozi, Zhuangzi himself and the logician Hui Shi.