Legalism (Chinese philosophy)

Ancient school of political philosophy

Legalism (Chinese: 法家; pinyin: fǎjiā) refers to an intellectual, political, and philosophical orientation beginning in the Warring States period of China. While heterogeneous, the Legalists generally shared a view of most people—or at least the elite—as fundamentally self-interested, emphasizing equality under the law, administrative methods, and regulations. In addition, the Legalists tended to view the strengthening of agriculture and the military as the primary concern of the state, and they advocated for reducing the power of the aristocracy in favor of meritocracy and limiting the direct interference in the affairs of state by the sovereign.

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