Six Contraries

韩非子Nanhai Publication Company · ChinaApr 2020

4.3

Word count: 2.6K words
Chapters: 7

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Summary

"Six Contraries" is a Classical Chinese essay included in the ancient text Han Feizi.

Editor's review

"Six Contraries" is the chapter in Han Feizi that most concentratedly embodies Han Fei's social criticism and political analysis. The "six contraries" refer to six kinds of conduct and groups of people that appear contradictory but are in fact evaluated in reverse by conventional opinion; through them Han Fei reveals the tension between public reputation and the actual effectiveness of governance, and thereby provides a basis for his legalist program of clear rewards and punishments and of granting rank according to merit. The argument is highly distinctive in method: it first sets out conventional views, then refutes them layer by layer, and finally concludes that the ruler should employ men according to law and standards rather than reputation. The style is cold and incisive, skilled in contrast and parallelism, with tightly paced logic, making it an important entry point for understanding Han Fei's thought on law and statecraft. For today's readers it is not only a text of pre-Qin political philosophy but also a mental exercise in how evaluation mechanisms mislead decision-making. Read it alongside chapters such as "Five Vermin" and "Prominent Schools" in Han Feizi to understand the overall approach of criticizing conventional opinion and emphasizing institutional effectiveness; at the same time note the text's strong ruler-centered stance, which must be examined within the context of the Warring States period.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in ancient Chinese political thought and Legalist doctrine
Students who need to study pre-Qin Classical Chinese and train their reading ability in classical texts
Managers and researchers concerned with institutional design and evaluation mechanisms
General readers hoping to draw methods of critical thinking from classic texts

Not a good fit for

Casual readers looking for light stories or popular history
Beginners without basic Classical Chinese reading ability who are unwilling to consult annotations
Readers who reject the ruler-centered and harsh-law stance and find it hard to accept analysis in historical context

Reading tips

First read the original text through once, marking words and phrases you do not understand, then use annotations to work through it sentence by sentence, avoiding getting bogged down in details from the start.
As you read, list the six conventional evaluations Han Fei attacks and match each to his reasons for refutation, mapping out the argument's structure.
Read it against "Five Vermin" and "Prominent Schools," comparing the different angles from which Han Fei criticizes conventional opinion to form an overall understanding.
After reading, write a short commentary connecting it to problems of evaluation, reward, and punishment in modern organizations, to test whether you have truly understood its logic.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
六反
正文一
正文二
正文三
正文四
正文五

FAQ

What does "six contraries" in the title of the "Six Contraries" chapter mean?

"Six contraries" refers to six sets of conduct or groups of people that appear contradictory but are in fact inverted by conventional evaluation. In the text Han Fei lists six types of phenomena that conventional opinion praises or condemns, pointing out that these evaluations often run counter to the actual effectiveness of governance, and thus argues that the ruler should use law and standards and actual achievement as criteria rather than listening to praise and blame. The specific items must be understood by comparing them one by one against the original text.

Can I read this without any foundation in Classical Chinese?

You can, but you will need annotations or a modern Chinese translation. It is advisable to choose an edition of selected Han Feizi writings with detailed annotations: first look at the translation to grasp the general meaning, then return to the original for comparative reading. If you are completely unwilling to engage with Classical Chinese, the reading experience will be rather laborious; you might start with general introductory works on Han Fei's thought.

What practical significance does reading "Six Contraries" have for modern readers?

The core of this chapter is the mismatch between evaluation mechanisms and actual conduct, and how decision-makers can avoid being misled by conventional opinion. This way of thinking can be transferred to scenarios such as organizational management, talent evaluation, and judging public opinion. Readers need not endorse its ruler-centered stance, but can use its argumentative method to train their ability to distinguish "reputation" from "actual effectiveness."

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About the author

韩非子 Author

Han Feizi is regarded as the great synthesizer of Legalist thought in the late Warring States period; details of his life and native place are limited in publicly available sources and cannot be verified with certainty. The collection bearing his name contains seventeen of his works, including "Nan Yi," "Nan San," "Yang Quan," "Shuo Lin Shang," "Shuo Lin Xia," "Wu Du," and "Yu Lao," most of which are political and philosophical essays. These writings are known for their cold, rigorous reasoning and their skillful use of fables and historical examples to argue their points, analyzing layer by layer the dynamics between ruler and minister, the function of law and standards, and the changes of the age. Their language is concise and sharply pointed. Pieces such as "Wu Du" embody his emphasis on law, position, and statecraft, and have had a lasting influence on later political culture and essay writing; they are often classified under Eastern philosophy and miscellaneous prose.