University of Virginia Library

Book X.

*29. Chap. I. Fei Han [OMITTED] (Strictures on Han Fei Tse).

Han Fei Tse solely relies on rewards and punishments to govern
a State. In his system there is no room for the cultivation of
virtue. He despises the literati as useless, and thinks the world
to be so depraved and mean, that nothing but penal law can keep
it in check. Wang Ch`ung shows by some examples taken from Han
Fei Tse's
work that this theory is wrong. Men of letters are as
useful to the State as agriculturists, warriors, and officials, for they
cultivate virtue, preserve the true principles, and benefit the State
by the good example they set to the other classes.


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*30. Chap. II. T`se Mêng [OMITTED] (Censures on Mencius).

Wang Ch`ung singles out such utterances of Mencius, in which
according to his view his reasoning is defective, or which are conflicting
with other dicta of the philosopher.