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Worth Vs. Power: Han Fei’s “Objection to Positional Power” Revisited

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Published/Copyright: September 17, 2020
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Abstract

This article discusses the chapter “Objection to Positional Power” (Nan shi 難勢) of Han Feizi 韓非子. It provides a full translation cum analysis of the text and explores systematically the chapter’s structure, rhetoric, and its political message. The discussion, which contextualizes the chapter’s message within broader trends of the Warring States-period political debates, demonstrates that beneath the surface of debates about “positional power” (shi 勢) versus “worth” (xian 賢), the chapter addresses one of the touchiest issues in Chinese political thought: that of the intrinsic weakness of hereditary monarchy. Furthermore, “Objection to Positional Power” also addresses problems of the meritocratic system of rule and elucidates some of the reasons for Han Fei’s dislike of meritocratic discourse. By highlighting some of the chapter’s intellectual gems I hope to attract further attention to the immense richness of Han Feizi as one of the most sophisticated products of China’s political thought.

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (grant No. 568/19) and by the Michael William Lipson Chair in Chinese Studies. Its draft was presented at the panel “Power Rhetoric and The Rhetoric of Power of the Han Feizi 韓非子” at the 21st International Conference of the International Society for Chinese Philosophy, Bern, July 2–5, 2019. I am grateful for the panel participants and audience for their insightful remarks.

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Published Online: 2020-09-17
Published in Print: 2021-03-26

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