Acomparative study

Abstract:Asweknow,Hanfeiziisthemostrepresentativefigureofthelegistschool.Hisideasarebestdescribedinhisbook“Hanfeizi”,inwhichhestronglyadvocatedtheimportanceof“law”,“means”,“force”foranemperortocontrolhiscountry.Aboutonethousandyearslater,inItalytherewasanpoliticiannamedMachiavelli.Inhisfamousbookcalled“ThePrince”,headoptedthesameattitudewithHanfeizitowardshowanemperorshouldrulehiscountry.Inthispaper,theauthortriestoexploresomesimilaritiesandsomedissimilaritiesbetweenthetwogreatthinkersfromtheaspectoftheirbackground,theirattitudestowardsthenatureandrelationshipofhumanbeingsandsoon.

ISimilaritiesintheirbackgrounds

Hanfeizi(280BC_233BC)wasbornintheSpringandAutumnPeriodinHanstate.AtthattimeHanstatewasthemostweakeststateofthesevenstates.Hanfeizi,whowasmuchinfluencedbyhisteacherXunziandtheTaoism,sawthepoliticalcorruptioninhiscountryandputforwardmuchusefuladvicetocarryoutreform..UnfortunatelytheemperorofHanwouldnotliketoadopthisideasandlethiscountrywitheraway.HowevertheemperorofQinshihuangadmiredthetalentofHanfeiziandwantedtogivehimapositioninQinstate.AlthoughQinshihuangfinallykilledHanfeiziowingtolisteningtotheunfaithfuladviceofLisi.,heruledhiscountryontheprinciplesadvocatedbyHanfeizi.Untilthattimedidthedivivedsituationcometoanendandtheunitedcentralrightcomeout.

MachiavelliwasborninFlorence,Italyatatimewhenthecountrywasinpoliticalupheaval.Italywasdividedbetweenfourdominantcity-states,andeachofthesewascontinuallyatthemercyofthestrongerforeigngovernmentsofEurope.Since1434FlorencewasruledbythewealthyMedicifamily.Theirrulewastemporarilyinterruptedbyareformmovement,begunin1494,inwhichtheyoungMachiavellibecameanimportantdiplomat.WhentheMedicifamilyregainedpowerin1512withthehelpofSpanishtroops,Machiavelliwastorturedandremovedfrompubliclife.Forthenext10yearshedevotedhimselftowritinghistory,politicalphilosophy,andevenplays.HeultimatelygainedfavorwiththeMedicifamilyandwascalledbacktopublicdutyforthelasttwoyearsofhislife.Machiavelli''''sgreatestworkisThePrince,writtenin1513andpublishedafterhisdeathin1532.TheworkimmediatelyprovokedcontroversyandwassooncondemnedbyPopeClementVIII.Itsmainthemeisthatprincesshouldretainabsolutecontroloftheirterritories,andtheyshoulduseanymeansofexpediencytoaccomplishthisend,includingdeceit.ScholarsstruggleoverinterpretingMachiavelli''''sprecisepoint.InseveralsectionMachiavellipraisesCaesarBorgia,aSpanisharistocratwhobecameanotoriousandmuchdespisedtyrantoftheRomagnaregionofnorthernItaly.DuringMachiavelli''''searlyyearsasadiplomat,hewasincontactwithBorgiaandwitnessedBorgia''''srulefirsthand.DoesMachiavelliholdupBorgiaasthemodelprince?SomereadersinitiallysawThePrinceasasatireonabsoluterulerssuchasBorgia,whichshowedtherepugnanceofarbitrarypower(therebyimplyingtheimportanceofliberty).However,thistheoryfellapartwhen,in1810,aletterbyMachiavelliwasdiscoveredinwhichherevealsthathewroteThePrincetoendearhimselftotherulingMedicifamilyinFlorence.ToliberateItalyfromtheinfluenceofforeigngovernments,Machiavelliexplainsthatstrongindigenousgovernmentsareimportant,eveniftheyareabsolutist.

IISimilaritiesintheirattitudesreflectedintheirworks

1.Onforce

FromtheexperienceMachiavellilearnedthatweakcountrieshadnodiplomaticrelationshipwithothercounties.Inhisworkheputforwardthattheweakestthingintheworldwasthepowerthatwasexaggerated.Hetriedtopersuadetheemperortomakeastrongarmy,whichwouldbecomethesolidfoundationofanycourse.WhileHanfeiziheldthesameopinionwithMachiavelli,hesaidthatthemostimportanttaskforanemperorwastodevelophiscountryinmanywayssuchasincreasingtheproductionofagriculture,establishclearencouragementandpunishmentlaws,haveaforcefularmyunderhiscontrol.

2.Onhumansnatureandtheirrelationship

ThoughhumanistsofMachiavelli''''stimebelievedthatanindividualhadmuchtooffertothewellbeingofthestate,Machiavelliwasquicktomockhumannature.Humanistsbelievedthat"Anindividualonlygrowstomaturity-bothintellectuallyandmorally-throughparticipation''''inthelifeofthestate."

Machiavelligenerallydistrustedcitizens,statingthat"...intimeofadversity,whenthestateisinneedofit''''scitizenstherearefewtobefound.”MachiavellifurtherwentontoquestiontheloyaltyofthecitizensandadvisedthePrincethat"...becausemenawretchedcreatureswhowouldnotkeeptheirwordtoyou,youneedkeepyourwordtothem."

ThesametoHanfeizi.UndertheinfluenceofhisteacherXunzi,Hanfeiziadheredtotheprinciplethathumannaturewasbad.Andhisdevelopedhisideastotheenumeratedkingdomwhichhethoughtwastheheavenoftheearth.Hebelievedthathumanbeingsweredrivenbythegreedforprofit.Wecanseesometraceinhisfamoussaying:strictmotherhaskindchildren,whilekindmotherhasbrutechildren.

Bothofthembelievedthattherelationshipamonghumanbeingswasakindofnakedinterest_orientedrelationship.Theymakeuseofeachother,notbelieveinothers,andwouldtryeverymeanstoreachonesaims.

3.Ontheimageofemperor.

InThePrinceNiccoloMachiavellipresentsaviewofgoverning:statethatisdrasticallydifferentfromthatofhumanistsofhistime.MachiavellibelievestherulingPrinceshouldbethesoleauthoritydeterminingeveryaspectofthestateandputineffectapolicy,whichwouldservehisbestinterests.Theseinterestsweregaining,maintaining,andexpandinghispoliticalpower.Hisunderstandingofhumannaturewasacompletecontradictionofwhathumanistsbelievedand

taught.Machiavellistronglypromotedasecularsocietyandfeltmoralitywasnotnecessarybutinfactstoodinthewayofaneffectivelygovernedprincipality.ThoughincomecasesMachiavelli''''ssuggestionsseemharshandimmoralonemustrememberthattheseviews

werederivedoutofconcernItaly''''sunstablepoliticalcondition.Ifaprincecannotbebothfearedandloved,Machiavellisuggests,itwouldbebetterforhimtobefearedbeythecitizenswithinhisownprincipality.Hemakesthegeneralizationthatmenare,"...ungrateful,fickle,liars,anddeceivers,theyshundangerandaregreedyforprofit;whileyoutreatthemwelltheyareyours."Hecharacterizesmenasbeingselfcenteredandnotwillingtoactinthebestinterestofthestate,"[andwhentheprince]isindangertheyturnagainst[him]."Machiavellireinforcestheprince''''sneedtobefearedbystating:Machiavellipostulatesthataprincemustalsodeceivethosewhoattempttoflatterhim.

Inchoosingwisemenforhisgovernmentandallowingthosethefreedomtospeakthetruthtohim,andthenonlyconcerningmattersonwhichheaskstheiropinion,andnothingelse.Butheshouldalsoquestionthemtoughlyandlistentowhattheysay;thenheshouldmake

uphisownmind.

Machiavelliactivelypromotedasecularformofpolitics.HelaidasidetheMedievalliconception"ofthestateasanecessarycreationforhumankindsspiritual,material,andsocialwell-being."Insuchastate,"arulerwasjustifiedinhisexerciseofpoliticalpoweronly

ifitcontributedtothecommongoodofthepeopleheserved,andtheethicalsideofaprincesactivity...oughttobebasedonChristianmoralprinciples...."

Machiavellibelievedasecularformofgovernmenttobeamorerealistictype.Hisviewsweretothebenefitoftheprince,inhelpinghimmaintainpowerratherthantoservetothewellbeingofthecitizens.Machiavellipromotedhisbeliefbystating:Thefactisthatamanwhowantstoactvirtuouslyineverywaynecessarilycomestogriefamongthosewhoarenotvirtuous.Therefore,

ifaprincewantstomaintainhisrulehemustlearnnottobesovirtuous,andtomakeuseofthisornotaccordingtoneed.

Hanfeizialsohadthesameattitude.Headvocatedhisideasaboutthe“law”,”mean”,”force”.ManyemperorsintheChinesehistoryadoptedhisideasinordertoruletheircountries.Hebelievedthatasanemperor,oneshouldknowthedividinglineoftheencouragementandpunishmentandusethesethemwisely.Theemperorshouldlearntogetridoftheopponentsanduselawtorulethecountrysothatallthecitizenwouldknowwhattheyshoulddoandwhattheyshouldnot.

IIITheirdifferentresult

Hanfeizisideashaveledourcountrytotheabsolutism,whileMachiavellisideasbecamethe

resourcesofthewesterndemocracy.Theirideaswereaboutthesame,whytheirresulthadsomuchdifference?Thiswasbecausethatthefeudalitysystemlastedforalmosttwothousandyears.WhileafterMachiavellithereexistedmanyphilosophersinthewesttodiscussthevalidityoftheabsolutemonarchy.Theychangedwiththetides,whileontheotherhandweChinesekepttheoldformandtoooutdated.