In the long history of ancient China, there was a great philosopher and statesman, and his name was Han Fei. He was a famous thinker, writer and jurist during the Warring States period, and was known as one of the "100 Schools of Pre-Qin Princes". Among his many theories and practices, the most important is his concept of "rule of law" and his deep understanding and practice of the tax system.
Han Fei is one of the main representatives of the Legalist school, and he expounded his core idea in his book "Han Feizi": "rule the country by law". He believed that the state should rely on the law to manage social affairs, not on the will or moral code of the monarch. This style of governance can ensure fairness and justice, prevent abuse of power, and maintain social stability and development.
In terms of taxation, Han Fei also has a unique opinion. He advocated the collection of taxes and fees at reasonable rates as an important source of government revenue. At the same time, he also stressed the need to strictly manage and supervise taxpayers to avoid tax evasion. He also proposed that "the benefits of merchants should not be unique", that is, the burden on merchants and craftsmen should be appropriately reduced and their development should be encouraged.
These theories of Han Fei had a profound impact on the Chinese government at that time. In Chinese history, from the beginning of Qin Shi Huang's unification of the Six Kingdoms to the "salt and iron monopoly" during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it was a policy implemented based on his concept of taxation. Moreover, in the political practice of later generations, his "rule of law" has also been widely recognized and applied.
However, Han Fei's philosophy is not set in stone. With the passage of time and changes in society, some of the perceptions of him are also constantly changing. For example, in modern society, we have realized that "governing the country according to law" not only relies on the power of law, but also requires citizens' awareness of rights and the spirit of participation. In the same way, we also realize that tax collection is not only to meet the needs of government spending, but more importantly, to make good use of this money to serve the people and promote social progress.
Han Fei is a great thinker who is thoughtful and innovative. Although his theory is somewhat outdated, the core values contained in it are still of great practical significance. For us, learning Xi and understanding his theories can not only help us better understand history, but also provide some inspiration and reference for our lives today.