Words matter. These are the best Han Fei Quotes, and they’re great for sharing with your friends.
The severe household has no fierce slaves, while it is the affectionate mother who has the prodigal son.
Those who serve as ministers can be compared to hands: reaching up, they take care of the head; reaching down, they take care of the feet.
I believe it is impossible to be sure of anything.
A wise ruler, when he makes his laws, is bound to find himself in conflict with the world.
The Way is the beginning of the ten thousand things and the guiding thread of truth and falsity.
If ministers forget their ruler and establish relationships with foreign powers in order to advance the interests of their confederates, there will be scant reason for subordinates to obey their superiors.
A ruler makes use of the majority and neglects the minority, and so he does not devote himself to virtue but to law.
The object of rewards is to encourage; that of punishments, to prevent. If rewards are high, then what the ruler wants will be quickly effected; if punishments are heavy, what he does not want will be swiftly prevented.
If a ruler can get rid of private crookedness and promote the public law, his people will become secure, and his state will become well ordered.
The Way of an enlightened ruler is to make it so that no minister may make a proposal and then fail to match it with actions and results.
When an enlightened ruler controls his ministers, he makes it so that ministers cannot get credit for achievements gained by overstepping the bounds of their offices or make proposals and then fail to match them with actual achievements.
Within the frontiers of a state, there are no more than ten people who do good of themselves, whereas if one makes it so that the people can do no wrong, the entire state can be kept peaceful.
If a ruler of men wants to put an end to vice, he must examine the correspondence between form and name and look to see how what is said differs from what is done.
If you rely on political factions to promote men to office, the people will work to develop instrumental relationships and will not seek to be useful with regard to the law. Thus, a ruler who mistakes reputation for ability when assigning offices will see his state fall into disorder.
He who is vain and delights in his own ability is deceived by his inferiors. When he likes to bring forth arguments and kindliness, his inferiors take advantage of his abilities.
