Overview
Han Fei was a Philosopher and Writer.
PeriodAncient China
IdentityHistorical · Male
Other names
| Type | English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal name | Han Feizi | 韓非子 | Hán Fēizǐ |
| Alternate name | Hanzi | 韓子 | Hanzi |
Life and dates
Death
- BC 234 王安五年Execution · Authority Qin 秦Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 45, passage 191
- forced suicide by poison in Qin 李斯使人遺非藥，使自殺 · At Qin 秦 · Authority Li Si (李斯)Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passages 63, 137, 139
- died and Han was awakenedDirectly stated · New Book of Tang 178, passage 256
Attested activity
- BC 234 王安五年Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 45, passage 191
- BC 280 to BC 233 BC 280-233Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 32, passage 122
- BC 475 to BC 221 BC 475-221Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 85, passage 72
- BC 280 to BC 233 Warring States activity of Han FeiziStrongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 108, passage 2
- BC 280 to BC 233 楊、墨、釋、老Dated from the passage context · History of Ming 298, passage 95
- BC 233 終死於秦Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 63
Show 12 more source-backed claims
- BC 280 to BC 250 與李斯俱事荀卿Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 56
- BC 237 to BC 233 说难既酋，其身乃囚Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 117, passages 244-245
- BC 234 遣非使秦Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 131
- c. BC 280 to BC 233 韓Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 23, passage 28
- BC 280 to BC 233 韓子Strongly inferred · Book of Chen 24, passage 200
- BC 280 to BC 233 韓子曰Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 1
- BC 280 to BC 233 韓生所謂Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 77
- BC 233 韓非Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 47, passage 82
- BC 280 to BC 233 韓非之智，不免秦獄Strongly inferred · Book of Chen 24, passage 65
- BC 280 to BC 233 韓非之說 (Han Fei's own lifetime)Strongly inferred · Book of Han 65, passage 174
- BC 280 to BC 233 韓非昔懼於說難Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 47, passage 145
- BC 233 韓非死而啟漢Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 178, passage 256
Key source chapters
- Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 63 Biographies of Laozi and Han Fei 17 passages
- Book of Later Han, Chapter 85 Volume 77: Biographies of Cruel Officials 3 passages
- Book of Chen, Chapter 24 Volume 24: Zhou Hongzheng; Yuan Xian 2 passages
- Book of Han, Chapter 117 Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 2 passages
- Book of Han, Chapter 65 Volume 56: Dong Zhongshu 1 passage
Origins and identity
- prince of the Han ruling house 韓之諸公子Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 53
Career and standing
- envoy 使Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 45, passage 191
- EnteredBC 234 王安五年 · Detained · At Qin 秦Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 45, passage 191
- EnteredImprisonedDirectly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 245
- ProsecutedDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 136
Places and affiliations
- Polity Han (state) 韓 · Relation ServedStrongly inferred · New Book of Tang 178, passage 256
- Polity Han (Warring States) 韓 · Relation Associated withStrongly inferred · Book of Han 65, passage 174
- Polity Han 韓 · Relation Associated withStrongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 47, passage 145
- Polity Han 韓 · Relation ServedDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 45, passage 191
- Polity Qin 秦 · Relation Active inStrongly inferred · Book of Han 117, passages 244-245
Learning and skills
- Belief Huang-Lao 黃老 · Relation Based onDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 54
- Skill writing books 善著書 · Level renownedDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 55
Works and attributed material
- On the Difficulty of Persuasion 說難Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 47, passage 145
- Difficulty of Persuasion 說難Relation AuthorDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passages 62-64
- Difficulty of Persuasion 说难Relation AuthorDirectly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 245
- Five Parasites 五蠹Relation AuthorDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 62
- Forest of Sayings 說林Relation AuthorDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 62
- Han Fei's doctrines 韓非之說Relation AuthorDirectly stated · Book of Han 65, passage 174
Show 7 more source-backed claims
- Inner and Outer Stores 內外儲Relation AuthorDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 62
- Lonely Indignation 孤憤Relation AuthorDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 62
- Difficulty of Persuasion 说难Essay · AuthorDirectly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 245
- Quotation · AuthorDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 1
- Saying · Author · Direct quotation · Speaker Wang Jian (王建) · Mode quotation Source Person Id Han Fei (韓非) Speaker Wang Jian (王建)Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 77
- Saying · Speaker · Direct quotationDirectly stated · Book of Chen 24, passage 200
- Difficulty of Persuasion 說難Treatise · AuthorDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passages 64-126
Events and relationships
- Feared difficulty of persuasionDirectly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 47, passage 145
- Qin practiced his doctrinesIntellectual · Doctrinal sourceDirectly stated · Book of Han 65, passage 174
- Remonstrated in writingDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 57
- Sent to QinDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 131
- Sent toDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 45, passage 191
- Slandered and condemnedDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passages 133, 136
Show 4 more source-backed claims
- Was imprisoned after finishing the essay on persuasionLegal · VictimDirectly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 245
- Relation Fellow student of · Person Li Si (李斯)Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 56
- Relation Student of · Person Xunzi (孫卿)Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 56
- Relation Envoy of · Person King An (王安)Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 45, passage 191
Assessments and attributes
- Assessment angled his ruler with rhetoric; merit and name cannot be falsely established · Mode speaker-judgment Speaker Host (主人)Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 244
- Assessment drew ink lines, cut affairs, clarified right and wrong; extreme was harsh and cruel, lacking mercy · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 145
- Assessment wrote Difficulty of Persuasion yet could not save himself · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 141
- had a stutter 口吃Physical descriptionDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 55
Source notes
- Historicity historical
References in the histories
36 passages
No matching passages.