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Chinese history spans thousands of years. It has always been believed that since Emperor Wu of Han, Confucianism has been the only school of thought, and all other schools were abolished. Whether the government was selecting the talented and capable to take up important positions, or hosting exams for recruitment of officials, Confucianism was the guiding principle. The author of this book deviates from the mainstream view and believes that the art of ruling by emperors was modeled after Legalism, and that Han Fei, the representative figure of Legalism, was the teacher. Therefore, while Confucianism was respected on the surface, Han Fei became the ghost writer whose input was never acknowledged openly. He cites the three great emperors of China, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Kangxi as examples, and describes how they used various means to firmly grasp the power of the emperor, weaken the power of the ministers, and carry out severe punishments. The variety of methods used was awe-inspiring. The author laments that Han Fei, as a prince of Han, was well-read and determined to make the country strong and the monarch powerful, and to pass on his knowledge for generations. He devoted his life to studying the art of ruling by emperors, but his work was never used by the Han government. Although he was appreciated by King Zheng of Qin later, he was not tolerated by his fellow student Li Si and died an unfortunate death. Though Han Fei's ideas were used by future emperors, Legalism was criticized because the Qin Dynasty was too short-lived, and it could only be an unsung hero in the future dynasties. This book contains over 200,000 words, and is well-organized, well-researched, and well-written. It covers Han Fei's life, the source and ideas of his thought, the re-evaluation of him by modern Chinese and Western sinologists, and the enormous influence he had on modern Japanese politics and business. It is a rare and valuable work.
- AuthorLeung Koon-man
- PublisherJoint Publishing
- Publication Date2017