HPC 54. Learning to Unlearn: Han Feizi and Confucianism

History of Philosophy in India by Peter Adamson, Jonardon Ganeri, Chike Jeffers

May 24, 202619:42Education

Does Han Feizi’s focus on “standards” allow him to provide a more realistic political theory than the Confucian focus on moral cultivation?

Related Episodes

Continue listening to more episodes from History of Philosophy in India.

Aug 1, 2026 - 19:04

How historians like Sima Qian and Ban Gu have shaped our understanding of ancient Chinese history, includ...

Jul 19, 2026 - 18:53

How were the texts of the Han dynasty different from those in the Warring States period? How historical c...

Jul 5, 2026 - 18:11

The relationship between philosophy and politics in the Han Dynasty, focusing on the example of Huang-Lao...

Jun 21, 2026 - 33:45

An interview about fa-thinkers like Shang Yang and Han Feizi, exploring their relationship to the Qin dyn...

Jun 7, 2026 - 20:44

Did the fa-thinkers recognize that human beings natural have moral capacities or dispositions? How did th...

May 10, 2026 - 22:51

The Han Feizi and its “three pillars” of Legalist philosophy: fa (standards), shu (strategy), and shi (po...

Apr 26, 2026 - 18:07

Was the short-lived Qin empire, which unified China to put an end to the Warring States period, Legalism...

Apr 12, 2026 - 21:11

The “fa-thinkers” Shang Yang and Han Feizi encourage the rigorous application of “standards,” including l...