Han Fei
Han Fei, also known as Han Feizi, was a Chinese Legalist philosopher and statesman during the Warring States period. He was a prince of the state of Han.
Han Fei is often considered the greatest representative of Legalism for the Han Feizi, a later anthology of writings traditionally attributed to him, which synthesized the methods of his predecessors. Han Fei's ideas are sometimes compared with those of Niccolò Machiavelli, author of The Prince. Zhuge Liang is said to have attached great importance to the Han Feizi.
Sima Qian recounts that Qin Shi Huang went to war with the state of Han to obtain an audience with Han Fei, but was ultimately convinced to imprison him, whereupon he committed suicide. After the early demise of the Qin dynasty, the Legalist school was officially vilified by the Han dynasty that succeeded it. Despite its outcast status throughout the history of imperial China, Han Fei's political theory and Legalist ideas continued to heavily influence every dynasty thereafter, and the Confucian ideal of rule without laws was never to be realized.
Han Fei borrowed Shang Yang's emphasis on laws, Shen Buhai's emphasis on administrative technique, and Shen Dao's ideas on authority and prophecy, emphasizing that the autocrat will be able to achieve firm control over the state with the mastering of his predecessors' methodologies: his position of 'power', 'technique', and 'law'. He stressed the importance of the concept of holding actual outcome accountable to speech, coupled with the "two handles" system of punishment and reward, as well as wu wei.
Names
Han Fei is also known respectfully as Hanzi or as Han Feizi. In Wade–Giles transcription, his same name is written Han Tzu, Han-tzu, Han Fei Tzu, or Han Fei-tzu. The same name—sometimes as "Hanfeizi" or "Han-fei-tzu"—is used to denote the later anthology traditionally attributed to him.Legitimacy
Early scholarship was not very open the idea there was a real Han Fei, but modern scholarship has been open to the idea. Masayuki Sato does not consider it likely all of Sima Qian's literal details of Han Fei's life were historically accurate, considering them too dramatic, with Han Fei and Li Si set up to become destined opponents.Sinologist Goldin was open to the idea that details of Han Fei's life were "probably not far from the truth", just not considering it very important for interpreting the Han Feizi; that "Han Fei was descended from the ruling house of Hán", and seeking office in Qin, was "executed in 233 B.C.E., after being entrapped by Li Si".
Shang Yang and Shen Buhai
As chancellors of neighboring states, the doctrines of Shang Yang of the Qin state, and Shen Buhai of the Han state, would have intersected before imperial unification. The Han Feizi is Shang Yang's first preserved reference outside Qin, the Book of Lord Shang likely going into broad circulation alongside the Guanzi at that late time.As argued by Sinologist Herrlee Creel, it is geographically plausible that there was someone like a real Han Fei. A scion of the Han state, he would have been well positioned to learn of Shang Yang and Shen Buhai, and then write parts of the Han Feizi. Most notably chapter 40, which discusses the two figures. It is also plausible to have been familiar with chapter 43's Shen Dao, who was better known in the Warring States period.
Although Han Fei advocates both law and shu technique, the Han Feizi's Chapters 30 and 38 expresses a shu-centric point of view. Chapter 30 considers making punishments clear and inevitable a subset of techniques. Chapter 38 considers "clarifying rules and measures" a subset example of techniques of rule requiring the ruler assign duties. Thus, Han Fei seems here to be a more direct philosophical descendant of his Han state forbear Shen Buhai, just as tradition would place him.
Life
The exact year of Han Fei's birth remains unknown, however, scholars have placed it at.Unlike the other famed philosophers of the time, Han Fei was a member of the ruling aristocracy, having been born into the ruling family of Han during the end phase of the Warring States period. In this context, his works have been interpreted by some scholars as being directed to his cousin, the King of Han. The Records of the Grand Historian say that Han Fei studied together with future Qin chancellor Li Si under the Confucian philosopher Xun Kuang. It is said that because of his stutter, Han Fei could not properly present his ideas in court, but Sima regards him as having been very intelligent. His advice otherwise being ignored, but observing the slow decline of his Han state, he developed "one of the most brilliant styles in ancient China."
Sima Qian's biography of Han Fei is as follows:
His works ultimately ended up in the hands of King Ying Zheng of Qin, who commented, "If I can make friends with this person , I may die without regrets." and invited Han Fei to the Qin court. Han Fei presented the essay "Preserving the Han" to ask the king not to attack his homeland, but his ex-friend and rival Li Si used that essay to have Han Fei imprisoned on account of his likely loyalty to Han. Han Fei responded by writing another essay named "In the first time of meeting Qin king", hoping to use his writing talent to win the king's heart. Han Fei did win the king's heart, but not before Li Si forced him to commit suicide by drinking poison. The Qin king afterward regretted Han Fei's death.