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Legalist Treatises (fajia lei 法家類)

Jul 3, 2010 © Ulrich Theobald

Legalist Treatises (fajia lei 法家類) is a subcategory in traditional Chinese bibliographies and part of the category of Masters and Philosophers (zibu 子部). Although the Confucians always despised the legalists because of their non-moral methods to create stability in state and society, the teachings of the legalists had a deep impact on the practical administration of the Chinese empires. Therefore the legalist writings have always been granted an own category. The compilers of the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書 included 8 legalist books, of which not all are really representing a pure legalist attitude. The most important of these books are the Guanzi 管子, Shangjunshu 商君書 and Hanfeizi 韓非子.

Table 1. Legalist treatises (fajia 法家)
Part of Siku quanshu 四庫全書
Part of Xuxiu siku quanshu 續修四庫全書
See also Literature on statecraft and administration, section Jurisdictional regulations (faling 法令)
管子 二十四卷 Guanzi (Zhou) 管仲 Guan Zhong (?)
鄧析子 (鄧子) 一卷 Dengxizi (Dengzi) (Zhou) 鄧析 Deng Xi
商君書 (商子) 五卷 Shangjunshu (Shangzi) (Zhou) 商鞅 Shang Yang (?)
韓非子 (韓子) 二十卷 Hanfeizi (Hanzi) (Zhou) 韓非 Han Fei
申子 (殘) * Shenzi (Zhou) 申不害 Shen Buhai
慎子 ShenziBooks on miscellaneous issues (Zhou) 慎到 Shen Dao
晁氏新書 (殘) * Chaoshi xinshu (Han) 晁錯 Chao Cuo
崔氏政論 (殘) * Cuishi zhenglun (Han) 崔寔 Cui Shi
阮子政論 (殘) * Ruanzi zhenglun (Han/Cao-Wei) 阮武 Ruan Wu
世要論 (殘) * Shiyaolun (Cao-Wei) 桓範 Han Fan
劉氏政論 (殘) * Liushi zhenglun (Cao-Wei) 劉廙 Liu Yi
陳子要言 (殘) * Chenzi yaoyan (Cao-Wei) 陳融 Chen Rong
疑獄集 四卷 Yiyuji (Wudai) 和凝 He Ning, 和㠓 He Meng
折獄龜鑑 八卷 Zheyu guijian (Song) 鄭克 Zheng Ke
棠陰比事 一卷 Tangyin bishi (Song) 桂萬榮 Gui Wanrong
宋提刑洗冤集錄 (洗冤錄) 五卷 (續修) Song tixing xiyuan jilu (Xiyuanlu) (Song) 宋慈 Song Ci
平冤錄 一卷 (續修) Pingyuanlu (Yuan) 趙逸齋 Zhao Yizhai
無冤錄 一卷 (續修) Wuyuanlu (Yuan) 王與 Wang Yu (?)
宋刑統 一卷 (續修) Songxingtong (Song) 竇儀 Dou Yi, 蘇曉 Su Xiao et al.
刑統賦 二卷 (續修) Xingtongfu (Song) 傅霖 Fu Lin
名公書判清明集 * Minggong shupan qingming ji (Song) NN
吏學指南 八卷 (續修) Lixue zhinan (Yuan) 徐元瑞 Xu Yuanrui
檢驗屍傷指南 * Jianyan sishang zhinan (Ming) 王肯堂 Wang Kentang
問刑條例 * Wenxing tiaoli (Ming) 彭韶 Peng Shao et al.
檢骨圖格 * Jiangu tuge (Qing) 增福 Tsengfu
* not included in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書, the catalogue Siku quanshu zongmu tiyao 四庫全書總目題要, nor the Xuxiu siku quanshu 續修四庫全書.