Acomparativestudy
Abstract:Asweknow,Hanfeiziisthemostrepresentativefigureofthelegistschool.Hisideasarebestdescribedinhisbook“Hanfeizi”,inwhichhestronglyadvocatedtheimportanceof“law”,“means”,“force”foranemperortocontrolhiscountry.Aboutonethousandyearslater,inItalytherewasanpoliticiannamedMachiavelli.Inhisfamousbookcalled“ThePrince”,headoptedthesameattitudewithHanfeizitowardshowanemperorshouldrulehiscountry.Inthispaper,theauthortriestoexploresomesimilaritiesandsomedissimilaritiesbetweenthetwogreatthinkersfromtheaspectoftheirbackground,theirattitudestowardsthenatureandrelationshipofhumanbeingsandsoon.ISimilaritiesintheirbackgrounds
Hanfeizi(280BC_233BC)wasbornintheSpringandAutumnPeriodinHanstate.AtthattimeHanstatewasthemostweakeststateofthesevenstates.Hanfeizi,whowasmuchinfluencedbyhisteacherXunziandtheTaoism,sawthepoliticalcorruptioninhiscountryandputforwardmuchusefuladvicetocarryoutreform..UnfortunatelytheemperorofHanwouldnotliketoadopthisideasandlethiscountrywitheraway.HowevertheemperorofQinshihuangadmiredthetalentofHanfeiziandwantedtogivehimapositioninQinstate.AlthoughQinshihuangfinallykilledHanfeiziowingtolisteningtotheunfaithfuladviceofLisi.,heruledhiscountryontheprinciplesadvocatedbyHanfeizi.Untilthattimedidthedivivedsituationcometoanendandtheunitedcentralrightcomeout.
MachiavelliwasborninFlorence,Italyatatimewhenthecountrywasinpoliticaluphea