[SELIM Column]

The Worldly Wisdom from Han Feizi

(written by Han fei, translated by YJ Kim / published by Life and Friends)

(SELIM Webzine, Aug. 2016 No. 61)

Chang-Jin Kim

Han Fei was a prince of the royal family of the small state of the Han Kingdom in the Warring States period (475 – 221 B.C.).  Not only the state was small and weak, but also the ruler incompetent at ruling his state properly in the late Warring States period the Han Kingdom went falling down. 

Having faced the reality of falling down of the state, Han Fei repeatedly submitted the letters of remonstrance to his King on the laws and tactics to overcome the dangerous status of his native state, but King didn't pay heed to his advice.

‘Han Feizi' is an ancient Chinese book which Han Fei's letters of proposal to the King are collected.  It was said that he submitted the ideas in writing as he is inarticulate in his speech.  

Below are extracted from ‘Han Feizi' which was translated by YJ Kim (book published by Life and Friends).  And I'd like to appreciate wisdom from this book of old days which is even worthwhile for our lives in today.

Han Feizi emphasizes the importance of ruling the state by setting up the law codes clearly, controlling the ministers with power of ruler, drilling the army under the wealth of the state and appoint the right people of wise capability.   

Han Fei observed all successes and failures in the history up to then, wrote about a hundred thousand pieces of work, including, ‘The Indignation(Gobun)', ‘The Five Vermin(Odu)', ‘Internal and External Tactics(Naiwoijeo), ‘Old Stories(Seollim)' and ‘The Difficulties of Persuasion(Senan)‘

His writings were known to the first emperor of the China, Qin Shi Huang later.  After reading ‘The Indignation(Gobun)', ‘The Five Vermin(Odu)' written by Han Fei, Qin Shi Hwang said “Wow! if I could meet this man and associate with him even if it meant death I wouldn't regret it!”, recognizing the talent, he wanted to keep him aside, but under the tricks of a minister, Han Fei was cast into prison in Qin dynasty where he was killed by drinking a poison.

It is said that Han Fei was born in 280 B.C. and died in 233 B.C.

Qin Shi Huang was admired by Han Fei's theory on the despotic government and took it as a political principle of the newly united states, Qin, after he unified the China in 221 B.C.  Han Fei's political idea is, in a word, that political system should be changed with historical situation.

Han Fei is master of the standards, tactics and situational advantages.

“The standards are a law code and this must be clearly written and made public.  The standards should be shared by all.“ (section: The Difficulties of Persuasion(Senan))

“The tactics is a secret which is employed by the ruler and ruler controls ruler's ministers secretly by comparing one thing and another.  So, the tactics should not be open to the others.” (section: The Difficulties of Speaking(Nan))

“The politics is to deal with people.  And it is minster group that ruler deals directly.  So, the ‘Tactics' is a technique to control the ministers.

“Ruler uses all eyes in ruler's state to see and use all ears in ruler's state to hear“

This ancient Chinese book, ‘Han Feizi' is a collection of letters of proposal to the King in the Warring States period in China.  What surprises us is that those ideas (principles) are applying to our lives here exactly same.  And we can realize how valuable the ancient books are.     

Han Fei's wisdoms are interpreted to meet the needs of today (by YJ Kim) which quite contain the Chinese philosophy of Legalism.  Many of those wisdoms are introduced here as below as those are very worthwhile for our lives today, despite all of the thoughts could not be accepted positively by the modern minded.  

The Wisdom of Ruling

An anecdote was told by Han Fei regarding the relation between ruler and his people as follows. 

[In the past, Marquis Zhao of Han once got drunk and fell asleep.  The Supervisor of the Hat saw that his lord was cold, and put a robe over him.  When the Marquis awoke from his sleep, he took the thoughtful action commendable and asked “Who put this robe on me?” and the attendant replied “The Supervisor of the Hat put the role on you.”  The lord accordingly found both the Supervisor of the Robe and the Supervisor of the Hat guilty of a crime.]        

This looks cruel and heartless, but Han Fei put the higher value in maintaining orders in the organization rather than accepting those as individual act of the good intended and the goodhearted.

If this kind of act is allowed, Han Fei thought that it will disturb orders of the organization, and these actions could bring the whole organization collapsed as it allows the overstepping one's duty and infringe on the other's right.

(extracted and wrote down from the original statements)

The Wisdom of Decision Making

Human beings are destined to make decision constantly to take actions.  There's no further development and hope unless selection for decision making on all matters, from small to big matters.

But people are try to avoid decision making in reality and waiting for the unexpected lucks because they are afraid of changes ahead after the decision making.  Generally, the decision makings are postponed indecisively because of the fears for the criticism based on the results. 

It is very difficult thing to make decisions.  But the factors for the decision making are normally stated.  So once those factors found, the decision should be made resolutely without any excuses.  

The difficult questions, whether information is certain, whether it is misjudged, what is right timing for the decision, how we can make decision appropriately to fit to the situation… will be endlessly continued.  But facing these questions one by one causes the delay of the decision making.

Han Fei stated, as if he answers to these difficult questions, “I heard that it is impossible not to make any mistakes when something is done even for Yao who is a great master.  Nevertheless, human being is borne to do something”

The decision making should be continued in the rapidly changing world.  The progress of the situation after the decision making could be predicted but could not be clearly acknowledged at the time of the decision making.  So arguing over right and wrong of the decision making are always made after the results are available.  The criticism based on the results has nothing to do with act of the decision maker.

The Wisdom of Judging the Situation

All are changing in our world in the area of cultural, social, political and economic field…  These changes are made endlessly from the past to present not only vertically but also horizontally according to the movement of the position.  This kind of phenomenon is explained by Han Fei who has lived in 2,300 years ago

"There's no country which is always strong or always weak.  When the standards (law code) are implemented strictly, the state will be stronger.  When the standards are implemented with hesitation and failed to be applied firmly, then the state will be weakened."

The reason that old people didn't covet for goods is not because of the humanity, but because of the facts that there are enough goods.  And now the reason to covet for office positions is not because of the vulgar personality of the person, but because of fat profits attached to the positions.

It is natural for human being that they change the way of thinking, the way of living and the appearance according to the situation when it is changed.  It is rather strange thing not to change at all.

It is no more than Don Quixote who rushes toward the windmills, if you try to resist changes shouting out loudly, “The old things are good.  Keep tradition!”.

This kind of tradition finally will be disappeared no matter how much you tried to keep it.  It will be rather better to have this kind of tradition disappeared.  The tradition has descended and kept naturally without any forces and this is why it is called as tradition.  It is described in the Han Feizi that the tradition which has no relation with life could not be kept against our will or artificially.

The Wisdom of Persuading People

On the whole, the difficult thing about persuasion is to know the mind of the person one is trying to persuade and to be able to fit one's words to it.

“The words are trusted when those are spoken by many people.  When ten people say the untruth, it is accepted half in doubt, one hundred people, it is accepted that it might be true, and when one thousand people say, it is accepted that it must be true and people are willing not to listen to others.

A minister who is poor at speaking is to be suspected while the one excellent at speaking is to be trusted. 

So it is disguising the selfish desires when the ill-natured people backbites the superior with the supports from colleagues and being trusted with the gift of the gab.  It will be an effect of supporting the ill-natured people to wield power and become rash and indiscreet if the superior gets angry, reproves on it and does not compare and verify the reality and words.    

On the whole, the difficult thing about persuasion is to know the mind of the person one is trying to persuade and to be able to fit one's words to it.

The main points for persuasion is to understand that the success of persuasion lies in supporting the person even more strongly on the reputation for virtue and in keeping in secret what the person feel ashamed.  

If the person has private desire desperately, it must be explained that it fits to the public justice clearly and encouraged to take actions. 

In the section [The Difficulties of Persuasion(Senan)] in Han Feizi, it covers about persuasion.

In order to persuade superior, it is encouraged to find the way to meet the needs of superior even by telling lies, distorting of the facts and aiming the weak spot, digging a trap and flattering, speaking word purely for the simple tool for communication.     

Use not only the words, but also the situation, human being and all the others without hesitation. 
But all these are utilized to realize the lofty ideals.  Han Fei is surely willing to take the fact ‘the end justifies the means' positively. 

Accordingly, we can say that Han Fei thought of no feeling of sentiment of being on the same wavelength with others which is nothing more than a disease in modern time in order to achieve the goals for which Hean Fei was not willing to save even his own life.

He rather attempted to build the society of management, in which people in modern time get hurt in mind.  In addition, he brought the unique proposals of having ministers called to account for the words they speak and also called to account for the words they fail to speak.

It is wrote down here in same order and contents in the book without any changes in the purpose of conveying the language which contains author's life in depth in addition to the profound philosophical insights of Han Feizi.  

Thank you.