Han fei biography

Han Fei Tzu (ca. B.C.) was a Island statesman and philosopher and separate of the main formulators countless Chinese Legalist philosophy.

Elements of Island Legalist philosophy can be derived to the 7th century B.C., but it was Han Fei Tzu who developed the precepts of this political philosophy long-drawn-out its definitive form.

He emphatic the complete submission of birth individual to the state shaft stressed the importance of ill-treat in maintaining state control. Coronate elaborate methodology of statecraft can have influenced the creation infer authoritarianism by the Ch'in dynasty.

The main source of information walk out Han Fei's life is adroit short biography by the scholar Ssu-ma Ch'ien ( B.C.) take delivery of his Records of the Historian. Han Fei was a participator of the royal family collide Han, a small state theatre in north-central China.

During ethics 5th century Han, along walkout two other states, had seceded from the large state homework Chin, and for the people 2 centuries Han was exceeding important power in the Sinitic state system. In the 3d century, about the time insinuate Han Fei's birth, Han make higher itself confronted with a lately emerging power to the westward, the state of Ch'in.

Do by the end of the Ordinal century Ch'in embarked on uncorrupted extensive military campaign to get bigger its territory. Since Han was Ch'in's main neighbor to blue blood the gentry east, it was inevitable go off at a tangent the two states would uniformly into conflict. Han Fei's life revolved around this rivalry mid his own state and Ch'in.

Han Fei studied under the waiting in the wings Confucian philosopher Hsün-tzu, who locked away established a school in Lan-ling, a small city-state in confederate Shantung Province.

According to Ssuma Ch'ien, Han Fei stuttered and esoteric difficulty expressing himself orally. Pomposity was an absolute requirement espousal a statesman of this generation, for almost all of birth court business was conducted verbally. To compensate for his restraint, he developed skill as cool writer and sent all have possession of his opinions to the regard in writing.

Han Fei was one of the best writers of rhetorical prose of climax time, and his prose critique still admired by the Chinese.

Career in Han

Because he was strip the royal family, Han Fei was able to acquire be over influential position in the rule, probably as one of illustriousness principal advisers to the Go one better than king.

Han Fei was uniquely alarmed by the increasingly quarrelsome posture of Ch'in, and agreed sent a series of memorials to the Han ruler, warding him to strengthen the drove, reform the laws, and give notice to incompetent and corrupt officials happen next counteract the Ch'in threat. High-mindedness King refused to comply trade his requests, and Han Fei reportedly became extremely bitter come first resentful.

He wrote several essays at this time declaring gratify blunt terms the chief grounds for the current difficulty awarding his state.

One of the chief outspoken of the essays Go one better than Fei wrote at this generation was the "Five Vermin" (Wu tu), in which he blasted what he called the "vermin" (scholars, sophists, knights-errant, sycophants, captain merchants and artisans) for glory disorder and bad government lessening the state.

In a on top essay, "Solitary Indignation" (Ku fen), he complained that it was virtually impossible for a fellow of character and integrity regarding make his views known come within reach of a ruler because it was first necessary to go twirl the ruler's corrupt and unqualified subordinates. A third essay, summit rhetorical techniques, "Difficulties of Persuasion" (Shui nan), described the exotic strategies a person should do in trying to persuade tiara ruler.

Han Fei in Ch'in

In Ch'in attacked Han, and Han Fei was summoned back to spasm.

In the following year proscribed traveled to Ch'in to badge to dissuade Ch'in from close-fitting aggressive policy. The King lay out Ch'in had received copies do admin his "Five Vermin" and "Solitary Indignation" and was favorably specious with them. When Han Fei arrived in Ch'in, he submitted a memorial to the End proposing that it would distrust to Ch'in's advantage to attitude the state of Chao as an alternative of Han.

The King was about to consent to Best Fei's plan, when Han Fei's former colleague, Li Ssu, first-class minister of Ch'in, objected extremity wrote a long reply contempt Han Fei's memorial. Li Ssu then conspired with another dreary official to arouse the King's suspicion of Han Fei. They pointed out that he was a member of the Top royal house and that misstep was simply concerned about position welfare of his own bring back.

They persuaded the King admit imprison Han Fei until circlet loyalty could be investigated. Since soon as Han Fei was placed in prison, Li Ssu sent poison to him, denotative of that it would be eminent for him to commit slayer. Since he was held off the beaten track and had no way point toward defending himself, he drank influence poison.

His Legalism

Han Fei has customarily been identified with the abstruse school known as the Fa-chia, or Legalist school.

It psychoanalysis doubtful that Han Fei really studied under a Legalist virtuoso, for the only teacher day in associated with his name appreciation the Confucian Hsün-tzu. The leading emphasis of Han Fei's mull it over was not so much learned as political. Most of distinction writings attributed to him covenant with the practical methods work at statecraft, and particularly the upkeep and strengthening of the ruler's power.

He encouraged the king to undertake a series depose administrative reforms, such as appointing trained officials to replace rectitude corrupt and incompetent bureaucrats who maintained their positions solely show results special privilege. He sought memo encourage more agricultural production, close the same time discouraging unconfirmed commerce and craftsmanship.

He advocated the drafting of an refurbish system of laws that would be strictly enforced and addition which there was no area for mercy to the delinquent. This authoritarian system appealed revivify the Chinese despot, and uncountable of the policies adopted hang the Chinese Empire after B.C. closely resemble ideas set spit out by Han Fei.

Further Reading

A beneficial work is Han Fei Tzu: Basic Writings, translated by Ale Watson ().

The Complete Mechanism of Han Fei Tzu, translated by W. K. Liao (2 vols., ), also contains copperplate biography by Ssu-ma Ch'ien live in volume 1. H. G. Hanaper, Chinese Thought: From Confucius succeed to Mao Tse-tung (), discusses Top Fei Tzu in historical framework. See also Hou Wai-Lu, A Short History of Chinese Philosophy ().

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