Chinese · -280–-233
Han Fei was a prince of the small state of Han who stammered badly and therefore wrote instead of speaking. He studied under the Confucian Xunzi alongside Li Si, drew the opposite conclusions from their teacher's view that human nature is bad, and produced the most complete argument for rule by law, technique and raw position that classical China produced. The king of Qin read his essays and said he would die content if he could meet the man. Han Fei was sent to Qin as an envoy in 233 BC; Li Si, by then the Qin chancellor, warned the king that Han Fei would always serve his own state, had him imprisoned, and sent him poison. The king changed his mind too late. Twelve years later Qin unified China on the principles Han Fei had set out, and every Chinese dynasty afterwards governed by them while professing Confucius.