法家

Fǎjiā

noun

Meanings

1 Legalist school (of Warring States philosophy)
2 a Legalist thinker

Characters

school / family

Examples

HSK 5

法家主张依法治国。

Fǎjiā zhǔzhāng yīfǎ zhìguó.

The Legalists advocated governing the state by law.

HSK 5

韩非是法家的代表人物。

Hán Fēi shì Fǎjiā de dàibiǎo rénwù.

Han Fei is the representative figure of the Legalist school.

Tips

history

One of the 诸子百家 (Hundred Schools). Key thinkers: 商鞅 (Shang Yang), 韩非 (Han Fei), 李斯 (Li Si). Argued that human nature is self-interested and only strict laws, rewards, and punishments - not Confucian ritual - can hold a state together. Provided the operating manual for Qin's unification of China in 221 BC.

Stroke Order

法 fǎ

家 jiā