https://legal.excellentwiki.com/china/legal-theory/ Recent content in legal theory on ExcellentWiki - Legal Encyclopedia Hugo en-US Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://legal.excellentwiki.com/china/legal-theory/chinese-legal-theory/ Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://legal.excellentwiki.com/china/legal-theory/chinese-legal-theory/ <h2 id="classical-chinese-legal-thought">Classical Chinese Legal Thought</h2> <p>Chinese legal theory draws on two foundational and competing traditions: Legalism (<em>Fajia</em>) and Confucianism (<em>Rujia</em>). The Legalist school, associated with Shang Yang, Han Fei, and Li Si, argued that law (<em>fa</em>) should serve as a universal instrument of state control, applied uniformly and backed by harsh punishments to maintain social order and strengthen the ruler&rsquo;s authority. Legalism rejected the Confucian emphasis on moral cultivation and ritual propriety, insisting that human nature is fundamentally self-interested and that clear, publicly known laws enforced by a powerful state are necessary for social stability. The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 BCE using Legalist methods, establishing a legal code that applied uniformly across the realm.</p>