Han Fei · Politics
Han Fei’s dark reinterpretation of the Daoist ideal of <em>wu wei</em> (non-action): the ruler should stay empty, still, and utterly inscrutable, never revealing his likes, dislikes, or intentions - so that scheming ministers can find no handle to manipulate him, and the well-built system of law and incentive runs itself.
You learned that Han Fei borrowed the Daoist wu wei (non-action) but turned it into a technique of control: the ruler stays empty, still, and inscrutable, concealing his likes and intentions so ministers cannot read or manipulate him, letting the system of law and incentive do the actual work while he watches from a p…
Leads to Laozi.
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