''Fajia'' ( zh, s=法家, p=fǎjiā), or the School of ''fa'' (laws, methods), early translated ''Legalism'' for
Shang Yang, is a
school of thought
A school of thought, or intellectual tradition, is the perspective of a group of people who share common characteristics of opinion or outlook of a philosophy, discipline, belief, social movement, economics, cultural movement, or art movement.
...
representing a broader
collection of primarily
Warring States period
The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...
classical Chinese philosophy, incorporating more administrative works traditionally said to be rooted in
Huang-Lao Daoism
Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...
. Addressing practical governance challenges of the unstable feudal system, their ideas 'contributed greatly to the formation of the Chinese empire' and bureaucracy, advocating concepts including rule by
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...
, sophisticated administrative
technique
Technique or techniques may refer to:
Music
* The Techniques, a Jamaican rocksteady vocal group of the 1960s
* Technique (band), a British female synth pop band in the 1990s
* ''Technique'' (album), by New Order, 1989
* ''Techniques'' (album), by ...
, and ideas of state power. They are often interpreted in the West along
realist lines. Though persisting, the Qin to
Tang were more characterized by the 'centralizing tendencies' of their traditions.
The school incorporates the more legalistic ideas of
Li Kui Li Kui may refer to:
*Li Kui (legalist), government minister in the Wei state
*Li Kui (chancellor), chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
*Li Kui (Water Margin), fictional character in the ''Water Margin''
{{hndis, Li, Kui