Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy by Philip J. Ivanhoe, Bryan W. Van Norden

Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy

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Table of Contents

CHAPTER SEVEN
HAN FEIZI

Introduction

The last major thinker of the pre-Qin period is the social and political the-
orist Han Feizi

(c. 280-233 B.C.E.). Han Fei was a member of the
ruling house of the state of Han

; a small but influential state, strategi-
cally located in the southern portion of China's central plain. The book that
bears his name is a collection of essays on the arts of government and rhet-
oric, criticisms of historical episodes and existing philosophical doctrines,
commentaries on earlier philosophical works, and collections of historical
and semihistorical anecdotes to be used in the persuasion of rulers. Most of
these works (including all the selections translated here) were written by
Han Fei himself, but some of them appear to be the work of later authors
and were probably added to the text by compilers during the Western Han
dynasty.

According to the historian Sima Qian, Han Fei was "a stutterer who
could not speak his own counsel, but who was skilled at composing writ-
ten works," ¹ and this may partly explain why, up until the end of his life,
there is no record of Han Fei ever holding an important position in the
government of his home state. Sima Qian also states that at some point
early in his career Han Fei studied under the great Confucian philosopher
Xunzi, and was a schoolmate of the infamous statesman Li Si

--who
went on to become prime minister of the state of Qin--and was largely re-
sponsible for Qin's conquest of the Chinese cultural sphere in the year 221
B.C.E. Although Han Fei's ideas seem to have fallen on deaf ears in the state
of Han, his writings eventually brought him to the attention of the reign-

____________________

¹	See William H. Nienhauser, Jr., ed. The Grand Scribe's Records ( Bloomington & Indi- anapolis, IN: Indiana University Press, 1994) v. 7, p. 25.

-295-

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com

Publication Information: Book Title: Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy. Contributors: Philip J. Ivanhoe - editor, Bryan W. Van Norden - editor. Publisher: Seven Bridges Press. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 2001. Page Number: 295.

Title Page

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Selective Bibliography

Chapter One Kongzi (confucius) "The Analects"

Introduction

Selective Bibliography

Chapter Two Mozi

Introduction

Selective Bibliography

Chapter Three Mengzi (mencius)

Introduction

Selective Bibliography

Introduction

Chapter, Four Laozi: ("The Daodejing")

Selective Bibliography

Chapter Five Zhuangzi

Introduction

Selective Bibliography

Chapter Six Xunzi

Introduction

Selective Bibliography

Introduction

Chapter Seven Han Feizi

Selective Bibliography

Appendix

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