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PHILOSOPHER

Han Fei

280 BC - 232 BC

Photo of Han Fei

Icon of person Han Fei

Han Fei (c. 280 – 233 BC), also known as Han Feizi or Han Fei Zi, was a Chinese philosopher or statesman of the "Legalist" (Fajia) school during the Warring States period, and a prince of the state of Han.Han Fei is often considered to be the greatest representative of "Chinese Legalism" for his eponymous work the Han Feizi, synthesizing the methods of his predecessors. Han Fei's ideas are sometimes compared with those of Niccolò Machiavelli, author of The Prince. Zhuge Liang is said to have attached great importance to the Han Feizi, as well as Shen Buhai. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Han Fei has received more than 455,434 page views. His biography is available in 52 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 49 in 2019). Han Fei is the 185th most popular philosopher (down from 183rd in 2019), the 66th most popular biography from China (up from 67th in 2019) and the 8th most popular Chinese Philosopher.

Han Fei is most famous for his philosophy of Legalism, which advocates strict adherence to the law and harsh punishment for those who disobey.

Memorability Metrics

  • 460k

    Page Views (PV)

  • 69.21

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 52

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 5.58

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 3.48

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Page views of Han Feis by language


Among PHILOSOPHERS

Among philosophers, Han Fei ranks 185 out of 1,081. Before him are Pierre Gassendi, Max Horkheimer, Claude Adrien Helvétius, Emmanuel Levinas, Posidonius, and Hippasus. After him are Jakob Böhme, Muhammad Abduh, Sextus Empiricus, Athanasius Kircher, Melissus of Samos, and Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 280 BC, Han Fei ranks 2. Before him is Li Si. After him are Livius Andronicus, Philo of Byzantium, Arsaces I of Parthia, Conon of Samos, Pyrrhus II of Epirus, Nicomedes, and Ariamnes of Cappadocia. Among people deceased in 232 BC, Han Fei ranks 2. Before him is Ashoka. After him is Cleanthes.

Others Born in 280 BC

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Others Deceased in 232 BC

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  • Photo of Ashoka

    Ashoka

    304 BC - 232 BC

    HPI: 82.44

    Rank: 1

  • Photo of Han Fei

    Han Fei

    280 BC - 232 BC

    HPI: 69.21

    Rank: 2

  • Photo of Cleanthes

    Cleanthes

    330 BC - 232 BC

    HPI: 63.94

    Rank: 3

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In China

Among people born in China, Han Fei ranks 66 out of 1,392. Before him are Zhang Fei (167), Emperor Yingzong of Ming (1427), 5th Dalai Lama (1617), Jiaqing Emperor (1760), Li Si (-280), and Xiang Yu (-232). After him are Xuande Emperor (1399), Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (685), Gao Xingjian (1940), Yu the Great (-2123), Chongzhen Emperor (1611), and Jianwen Emperor (1377).

Others born in China

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Among PHILOSOPHERS In China

Among philosophers born in China, Han Fei ranks 8. Before him are Laozi (-604), Sun Tzu (-544), Mencius (-372), Zhuang Zhou (-369), Mozi (-470), and Zhu Xi (1130). After him are Xun Kuang (-313), Milarepa (1052), Shen Kuo (1031), Wang Yangming (1472), Guan Zhong (-720), and Han Yu (768).

Chinese born Philosophers

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