Chapter 10 4. Autocracy of inaction

Like Lao Tzu, Han Fei also advocated the inaction of the monarch. There are three reasons why the monarch does nothing. First of all, you are noble only if you do nothing. Han Fei said that the most advanced thing in the world is Tao and virtue.Tao is vast but invisible; virtue is universal and universal.What do they do?No, but supreme.Moreover, it is precisely because of being condescending and doing nothing that Tao can produce all things, and virtue can become yin and yang.In addition, the scale can know the weight, the ruler can measure the length, and the king can control the officials. This is also the reason.

It can be seen from this that the one who is only honored does not do anything, and the one who does nothing is only honored.Since the monarch wants to be the only one, he can't be as busy as his officials; since the monarch wants to be a referee, he can no longer be an athlete. Secondly, you are wise if you do nothing. The reason is also very simple: one thing, some people do it, and some people don't do it.If you do it, he won't do it.If you do it alone, no one else will do it.There are countless things to do in a country. Can the monarch do it all by himself?Since you can't finish it, it's better not to do one thing at all.

On the contrary, if the monarch does not do it, the ministers will naturally do it; when the monarch is idle, the ministers will get busy.This is called "so let it be done, and make it work for itself; give it as it is, and it will be self-promoted".So, is it more cost-effective for the monarch to be busy alone, or is it more cost-effective for everyone to be busy?Needless to say! Third, you can be safe only if you do nothing. The reason is equally simple: Once the monarch does something, the ministers will figure it out.The more things you do, the more things you can figure out.If the monarch also shows the ability to operate specific affairs, the cards will be drawn clearly.Without a sense of mystery, how can one be a monarch?That's why Han Fei said: "If you are strong at the top, things will not be right; if you are reserved and capable, you will be deceived by the bottom."

On the contrary, if the monarch is always silent, expressionless, noncommittal, and unfathomable, the ministers will be trembling, and they will not dare to cheat, cheat, lie, or covet power.In Han Fei's words, it's called "Mingjun does nothing and cares about the top, and the officials are afraid of the bottom". Obviously, this is the strategy of the strong. Tactics are learned from Lao Tzu.However, Lao Tzu's strategy belongs to the weak, it is the wisdom of the weak. The book "Laozi" repeatedly emphasizes that the ruler should lower his stature, that the soft can overcome the strong, and the weak can overcome the strong, because he is a representative of a disadvantaged group (see Chapter 5 of this book for details).

Han Fei was strong.In other words, he represents the strong side.Regarding this point, Han Fei did not hesitate to say—— Things are in the four directions, but in the center.The sage insists, and the four directions come to follow. It is very clear that the monarch can do nothing because "it must be in the center", that is, to centralize power.Centralization, the monarch holds absolute power.With this power, the monarch can do nothing and dare to do nothing. Power is the premise of inaction. Centralization is the guarantee of inaction. This is different from Laozi and Zhuangzi.Lao Tzu's social ideal is "small government, big society; people self-government, monarch inaction", basically no power.Zhuangzi pursues nature and freedom, and advocates that "the top is like a branch, and the people are like a wild deer", and he only resents and resists power.Therefore, although there are differences between Lao and Zhuang, there is no center or even no government, but they are the same.

The one with the center is Confucius. Confucius actually agreed with "government by doing nothing", but Confucians prefer to call it "government by hanging down".Confucius believed that a good politics should be like "the stars in the sky participate in the Big Dipper", which is natural.It's just that this kind of good politics comes from morality.Those in power must "govern with virtue", set a moral example, and inspire the people with noble character, so that they can "live in their place and all the stars share (grow) together" like the Polaris.

That's right, Confucius' Beidou is the "moral center". Han Fei's is a "power center".Occupying this center are the monarchs under the centralized system, including the kings of various countries at that time, and even the emperors of the later empires.They are the North Star in the legalist system. Of course, these "North Stars" are not doing nothing.For example, "make the chickens guard the night, and the raccoons hold the mice", and let the subjects do their best and perform their duties, which is what the king should do.They need to do these things and must do these things.

Because it is a manifestation of power. Fortunately, the job is not complicated.According to Han Fei's design, a centralized country should have wiped out all idlers, including Confucian scholars, chivalrous men, diners, political strategists, and businessmen known as the "people of the five worms", leaving only The peasants and soldiers, as well as the officials who manage them, are very "clean" and "simple". Obviously, this is a dictatorship. However, this tyranny is futile.This is not only because the supreme ruling power and decision-making power are in the hands of the monarch, but also because this kind of autocracy relies on the so-called "rule of law".In Han Fei's words, it is called "regulating chaos with spells, entrusting right and wrong with rewards and punishments, which is more important than weighing".

In other words, everything is left to the system and the law.Even if the monarch is autocratic, he doesn't have to do it himself. right!People are not governed, but laws are governed. Man is not autocratic, law is autocratic. This is the reason why Legalism is called "Legalism", and it is also the reason why Legalism and its propositions are controversial, and must be considered in the long term (see Chapter 6 of this book for details).But it is certain that Han Fei's idea of ​​"governance by doing nothing" is guaranteed by the system.With this guarantee, the monarch can live in his place and have his subjects come to serve him.

Perhaps, this is called "the sage insists on what he wants, and the four sides follow it." This creates a "bee and ant society". That's right.The monarch who sits firmly in the center without working hard and with a big belly is the queen bee or queen ant; those subjects who have no idea but only know to make contributions according to legal procedures are worker bees and worker ants. Would anyone like such a society? Have. Who would like it? Mohists.

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