Philosophy of feizihan

By incorporating the different aspects of Feizi Han's Legalism theories, we highlight the potential benefits of a societal system based on clear laws, impartiality, and a focus on results.

Feizi Han, was a key figure in the Ancient oriental Legalist school. Unlike many Eastern and Western philosophy who believed in inherent human goodness, Han Feizi saw people as inherently selfish and easily manipulated by self-interest.

Law and Order: Han Feizi emphasized the importance of a strong legal system (Fa) with clear and consistent laws enforced impartially. This ensured stability and order in the nation and the world.

Power of the Ruler: The ruler, the ultimate authority figure, should be above personal relationships and emotions. They should govern through laws, rewards and punishments. The book is a manual for rulers, outlining strategies to maintain power and control. It emphasizes techniques like using advisors with specific skills ("Shu") and maintaining authority ("Shi").

Importance of Meritocracy: Unlike the hereditary system, Han Feizi advocated for choosing officials based on their ability and competence, not their lineage. This concept is very important to run modern society in today’s highly diverse and complex environment. From a management perspective, it’s also important to orient people make them appreciate the diversity of thought, and help them build their professional skills progressively.

The "Two Handles": Han Feizi advocated for using "reward" (li) and "punishment" (shi) as tools to control people. By strategically offering rewards for desired behavior and harshly punishing unlawful behaviors, the ruler could effectively guide the people to move forward. "Shu" refers to specific strategies and skills needed for governance, while "Shi" represents the ruler's overall power and authority. The ancient era Han Feizi lived was ruled by emperors, so his theories have been used to maintain those rulers' authority. That could be his limitation because normal people perhaps lack of representation, the rulers may control people rather than guide them through.

Controlling the Flow of Information: He believed in restricting access to information for the common people to prevent dissent and maintain social order. That was his limitation. In the digital era in which we live, I believe that the good principle is to keep information flowing rather than control and apply quality information to solve problems effectively, overly restrictive social hierarchy should be flattened down, to build a benevolent society.

By incorporating the different aspects of Han Feizi's Legalism theories, we highlight the potential benefits of a societal system based on clear laws, impartiality, and a focus on results. Legalism emphasizes efficiency and order in governance. Laws should be clear and easy to understand, and their enforcement should be swift and predictable. This creates a stable environment where people know what is expected of them and the consequences of their actions.

Posted in: Global Perspective,Principle/Practice,Problem Solving