Did Xunzi’s Theory of Human Nature Provide the Foundation for the Political Thought of Han Fei?

Abstract

Within the field of early Chinese thought, there is a widely accepted preconception that Han Fei’s political theory is based on the thought of Xunzi. This article aims to put this “preconception” to a critical examination. In order to meet this purpose, I disconnect what I call the “tautological link” between the claim that: (1) “Han Fei was a student of Xunzi” and (2) “Han Fei’s understanding of human beings came from Xunzi’s theory of human nature.” I treat each claim as a single proposition which must be validated without reference to the other. Second, mainly based on the research conducted by Kaizuka, Hashimoto, and Zhang Nie, I attempt to show that Sima Qian did not describe Han Fei in the same way he did Li Si. However, it would be difficult to prove whether Sima Qian’s reference to a relationship between Xunzi and Han Fei should be taken as historical fact or as a complete fabrication. At the same time, I also attempt a thorough examination of Han Fei’s usage of the term xing and his understanding of human inclination, and compare both with the Xunzi and other texts. Based on this analysis, I will show that it is most likely that Han Fei directly incorporated an “early Legalist” and Jixia understanding of human beings (and their selfish inclinations), and did not adopt Xunzi’s theory that “Human nature is bad.”

I am indebted to Eirik Harris, Benjamin Gallant, and Paul van Els for their assistance in the revision of this article.