| author of the Han Fei zi, came to Qin from the state of Han. His ideas were implemented by Li Si who later put Han Fei to death. He called for an extreme authoritarianism; power was far more important than morality, virtue, or talent. A ruler can be brilliant, he claimed, but without authoritarian powers, nothing will ever be accomplished. He placed no trust in government or society as such, only in laws, for no one could be trusted. He sought rule by strict laws with harsh punishments and rewards for service to the ruler. | 1 |
