![]() ![]() This paper examines the interplay between ideology and social reforms under Qin governance. It may be surmised that the ideas of rival thinkers formed an ideological framework within which the Chinese empire functioned from its inception until its very last decades. The long-term impact of this age is even more remarkable. But how exactly should these ideas and ideals be realized? This became a focus of intense ideological contention, which contributed to remarkable intellectual creativity and pluralism of the age under discussion. Most of them shared basic fundamental premises-e.g., the ideal of political unity of All-under-Heaven, the insistence on the monarchic principle of rule, the meritocratic idea of staffing the government with the ablest men disregarding their pedigree, and the notion that the commoners deserve decent economic wellbeing, but are not supposed to take active part in policy-making. Their rivalries aside, the competing thinkers sought a common goal of restoring peace and stability. This thought developed in response to a severe systemic crisis of the preceding aristocratic age. This chapter introduces basic aspects of the political thought of the Warring States period. Through my comparative analysis, I will answer the question, what can these three philosophers say regarding the relationship between leadership and the process of statecraft? For this end I will illustrate that each of them focused on different stages of statecraft as a process and when analyzed together, they could show how this process is driven by changes in the nature and role of leadership. In line with existing marginal comparisons between Han Fei and Machiavelli, and Xunzi with the latter, I believe that it is time to learn from a conversation between these three philosophers through a more systematic comparative approach. I believe that one source of the aforementioned diversity are the political philosophies that were translated into practical principles adopted by state-builders. The rise, development, and fall of Western and Eastern states are evidently distinct from each other, thus, making the literature on contemporary theories of state into a rich collection of studies exposing patterns that binds and differentiates these cases with each other. ![]()
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