Chapter 10 Section 5 Legalism

Legalist private studies began to concentrate in the three Jin Dynasties——Zhao, Wei, and Han, and were related to Zixia.Zixia was originally a student of Confucius. After Confucius died, Zixia went to Wei State to give lectures in Xihe. There were more than 300 disciples.Wei Wenhou, Li Kui [kuikui], and Wu Qi were Zixia's students.Shang Yang (about 390-338 BC) studied the reforms of Li Kui (455-395 BC) in the State of Wei. At the same time as Mencius, Shang Yang used his own theories to guide the reform movement of the Qin State, advocating farming and warfare, rejecting "poems and books", denying "rituals and music", and advocating "burning [fanfan, burning] poems and books to clarify laws and regulations".

Han Fei (about 280-233 BC) lived at the end of the Warring States period and was a student of Xunzi.His theory was adopted by Qin Shihuang.Han Fei was born in a declining aristocrat in South Korea. He was born in a shabby household. He stuttered when he spoke, but his articles were beautifully written.Han Fei inherited Xunzi's theory of "evil nature", advocated progressive utilitarianism, and opposed the use of outdated moral concepts to restrain social development.For example, he once said that those who build cars hope that others will be rich, and those who build coffins hope that others will die early. This cannot be said that people who build cars are "benevolent" and those who build coffins are "inhumane".Because if people are not rich, no one will buy cars; if people are not dead, no one will buy coffins, all because of their "profit".Han Fei pointed out: "There are no books and slips in the country of the wise ruler, and the law is the teaching. There is no words of the previous kings, and the officials are the teachers." It means that in the country governed by the wise monarch, there are no traditional ancient books and documents, but In educating the people with decrees, there is no such teaching as the last words of the ancient sages and kings, but using officials as teachers.Han Fei's so-called "teaching with the law" actually replaces education with laws and regulations, and the so-called "teaching with officials" uses government officials instead of teachers. In fact, the school education system is abolished, and all traditional culture and theories of a hundred schools of thought are negated. , which is extremely one-sided.Because laws and regulations cannot replace education, just as education cannot replace laws and regulations, they each have their social functions and play their own roles.Han Fei did not realize that school education has its own unique social function and is an indispensable factor for the stability and development of a society.These thoughts of Han Fei had a direct impact on Qin Shihuang's cultural and educational policies. The Qin Dynasty later adopted the cultural and educational policy of "prohibiting private learning and using officials as teachers", which eventually led to the extreme of "burning books and burying Confucianism".