Han Feizi Quotes on Justice
Han Feizi was a 3rd-century BC Chinese political philosopher and one of the principal founding figures of the Legalist school of philosophy. This page collects quotes attributed to Han Feizi on the topic of justice, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
Quotes
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Attributed to Han Feizi:
“The enlightened ruler does not need the worthy or the wise; he relies on law.”
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Attributed to Han Feizi:
“If laws and orders are clear, no one need rely on the wisdom of others.”
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Attributed to Han Feizi:
“The carpenter does not throw away the line because the wood is crooked; the ruler does not abandon the law because the people are unruly.”
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“The Law(道, Way) is Huge and Shapeless, its Moral extends everywhere.”
夫道者、弘大而無形，德者、覈理而普至。至於群生，斟酌用之，萬物皆盛，而不與其寧。 | More Power" (《揚權》) -
“When all within the four seas have been put in their proper places, [the sage] sits in darkness to observe the light. When those to his left and right have taken their places, he opens the gate to face the world. He changes nothing, alters nothing, but acts with the two handles of reward and punishment, acts and never ceases: this is what is called walking the path of principle.”
四海既藏，道陰見陽。左右既立，開門而當。勿變勿易，與二俱行，行之不已，是謂履理也。 | Wielding Power", in Han Feizi: Basic Writings (2003) -
“No state is forever strong or forever weak . If those who uphold the law are strong, the state will be strong; if they are weak, the state will be weak.”
國無常強，無常弱。奉法者強則國強，奉法者弱則國弱。 | On Having Standards", in Han Feizi: Basic Writings (2003) -
“A truly enlightened ruler uses the law to select men for him; he does not choose them himself. He uses the law to weigh their merits; he does not attempt to judge them for himself.”
On Having Standards", in Han Feizi: Basic Writings (2003)