Starting from today, I will begin to talk about Han Feizi-Dilemma, one of the important representatives of the main legalists, Shen Dao and his thoughts. Shen Dao, one of the founders of legalism in China during the Warring States Period, was honored as a son of God by the world. According to historical records, Shen Dao gave lectures in Xia Ji for a long time when he was in Qi Xuanwang. He is a pioneer of the rule of law in Qi State and one of the most influential scholars in Jixia Academy. Gong Xue, Xia Ji is the earliest government-run institution of higher learning in the world and the earliest academy of social sciences and government think tank in China. It adopts the special management forms of official trusteeship and private trusteeship. Gong Xue, Xia Ji was built in the Tianwu period of Qi Huangong, and is located near Jimen, Linzi, the capital of Qi State, so it is called Gong Xue. The rare and spectacular "a hundred schools of thought contend" in the history of China's academic thought is centered on Xia Ji and Gong Xue of Qi State. Xia Ji Gong Xue has effectively contributed to the contention of academic schools in the world, created a good academic environment and base for a hundred schools of thought to contend, and is the crystallization of Chinese civilization and wisdom.

Shen Dao can become one of the most influential thinkers in Jixia Academy, which shows the importance of his knowledge and thoughts. Unfortunately, many of Shen Dao's works have been lost and few have been handed down from generation to generation. Shen Dao had "learned the moral skills of Huang Lao" in his early years. The learning of Huang Lao, also known as the learning of Huang Di and Lao Zi, is the cradle of Taoism in China. Huang Lao's thought and theory of respecting Yang Chonggang are rich and have a strong sense of reality. The development of Huang Lao's thought is mainly divided into three themes: statecraft (personal cultivation), statecraft (social politics) and statecraft (science and technology). It is based on metaphysical Tao, combined with metaphysical health preservation, magic, mathematics, art of war, strategy, etc., and has strong purpose and maneuverability. The Huang-Lao School is a school of integrating theory with practice, which is both pragmatic and practical.

Shen Dao advocated "respecting the law" and "governing by doing nothing". He believes that "the people are in the monarch, but the law is broken", that is, the subjects must obey the decree of the monarch, and the monarch must act in full accordance with the law. Moreover, legislative power should also be concentrated in the hands of the monarch, and officials at all levels can only strictly abide by and enforce the law, that is, "stick to the law." The people have to accept the provisions of the law and act in accordance with the law, that is, the "compulsory labor law." Shen Dao believes that only in this way can the rule of law be implemented. National law is the code of conduct and the basis of life of the monarch and his subjects, which makes the national law rise to the field of patriarchal clan system.

Shen Dao advocated emphasizing "potential" and "governing by doing nothing". Emphasizing "potential" means attaching importance to law. National law, like Tao in nature, has the potential to promote the orderly development of nature. Shen Dao believes that only when the monarch has mastered the power can he guarantee the implementation of the law. In Shen Dao's political ideology, the concept of "potential" is placed above law and etiquette, which is considered as the premise of engaging in political activities. Shen Zi's understanding of "potential" has always been rejected by the orthodox thoughts of past dynasties, but as long as it is viewed from a historical perspective, the ideological basis of "potential" is the equality of human beings, that is, the unity of monarch, minister and people, which is the application of the Taoist philosophy "Homology of Things". In Shen Dao's view, only the rule of law can achieve real equality, at least everyone is equal before the law.

In On the Homology of Things, Zhuangzi thinks that everything in the world, including people's personality and feelings, looks very different, but in the final analysis, they are all the same, called "homogeneous things". Zhuangzi also believes that people's various views and viewpoints seem to be very different, but everything in the world is the same, and speech should be the same in the final analysis. There is no such thing as right or wrong and difference. This is the consistency theory. Everything has its own surface, from the smallest to the smallest, all atoms; Everything is expressed in one way, as big as one, and all are inaction. The angle and intensity of looking at the problem determine the height of thinking.

Rule by man or rule by law is the focus of pre-Qin political thought. Shen Dao clearly pointed out that the rule of man is the greatest "private", and the legislative principle of Shen Dao's "following the goodness and interests of human nature" is the socialization of his philosophical thoughts and the humanity of Han Feizi. But the law can't satisfy all egoism, and another criterion of Shen Dao is "to safeguard public interests at the expense of private interests". "Common" has a general meaning, which is higher than the interests of the monarch. In order to ensure that people can "make public interests private" and abide by the law, Shen Dao put forward the concept of "dividing", that is, distinguishing responsibilities and not overstepping them. In this way, all subjects are decomposed into specific individuals by law, and "law" is the only link, which is convenient for the monarch to control and conducive to social stability.

In the history of China's philosophy, since Shen Zi, he has embarked on the road of positive social practice.

Shinto, Laozi and Zhuangzi all advocate nature, and their starting point is the same, but their destination is far from each other. Laozi saw the greatness of nature and advocated "abandoning wisdom, restoring ancient ways to simplicity" and "teaching nature". On the premise of "natural perfection", Zhuangzi is full of despair about human society and just wants to indulge in nature and fly away. Shen Zi thinks that heaven and earth are big, but at the same time he thinks that people can handle the relationship with nature and imitate heaven and earth.

With the philosophical system of "following nature", Shen Dao put forward a systematic theory of law, technique and potential in politics, which added a lot of fresh blood to the political theory of Legalists. Legalists evolved the Tao in nature into the law in society, making the law have the same energy and function as the Tao, making the country and society operate in an orderly and harmonious way, and achieving the goal of endless rule. It is undoubtedly an outstanding idea of Shendao to standardize state functions and embody and safeguard the interests of the ruling class in a standardized form. Shen Dao discussed the relationship between monarch and state, and pointed out that monarch is only the executor of state functions and the tool of law. The standardization of state functions makes the method of governing the country from mystery to openness, which fundamentally breaks the traditional theory of "divine right of monarch" and denies the traditional theory of "being a natural saint and being a teacher", which is the application of "homogenization" of Taoist philosophy.

The power, method and technique of Shinto restrict each other and complement each other. Advocating law is the central idea. Governing the country according to law depends on the power of the rulers. Where there is power, there is prohibition, and there is rule. Potential is the premise, and law is the means. Shen Dao's theory of "emphasizing potential" was absorbed and inherited by Han Feizi, and "Difficult Potential" is Han Feizi's discussion and exposition of this point of view, which is critical and dialectical to some extent.