"韩非子" by Fei Han is an ancient Chinese text attributed to philosopher Han Fei, with most chapters dating to the mid-3rd century BCE. This collection of 55 essays presents Legalist political philosophy, exploring theories of state power and governance through systematic law and administration. Han Fei examines human nature as interest-driven and offers methodologies for rulers to manage ministers and subjects through rewards and punishments. Often considered the culminating Legalist work, it addresses diplomacy, war, and economics while preserving valuable anecdotes about pre-Qin China.
Wikipedia page about this book: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Feizi