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Secondary sourceBookc. 3rd century BCE

Han Feizi

Han Fei · c. 3rd century BCE

A 3rd-century BCE Legalist text by Han Fei, whose chapter on the splitting Confucian schools shows how rivals criticized Confucius's legacy.

Han Fei's Legalist text records how Confucius's followers split into rival schools, showing his contested legacy.

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A photo of an open old Chinese bound book in a museum display case, with printed columns of classical text on the left page and handwritten calligraphy on the right page. Below is a placard with Chinese text titled Han Feizi.
Attributed to Han Fei, Han Feizi, c. 3rd century BCE. Edition from the Guangxu period, Qing dynasty, Hunan Provincial Museum.

About this source

What it is

This is an ancient Chinese text attributed to the Legalist philosopher Han Fei, dating mostly to the mid-3rd century BCE Warring States period. It survives complete in 55 chapters and is displayed here in a later printed edition from the Guangxu period of the Qing dynasty, held at the Hunan Provincial Museum.

Why it matters

The Han Feizi argues for a Legalist system of strict laws, rewards and punishments rather than reliance on moral virtue. Its chapter 'Eminence in Learning' discusses how followers of Confucius split into eight rival schools after his death, showing that his legacy was contested and reshaped by critics as well as admirers.

Look closer

  • Why might a rival philosophical school want to describe Confucianism as divided and quarrelling?
  • What does the survival of a rival text tell you about the range of debate in ancient China?
  • How does this printed edition differ from the original bamboo or silk texts of Han Fei's time?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Confucius and Emperor Qin Shi Huang on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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