Shen Dao

Shen Dao
Shen Dao
Chinese	慎到
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Shèn Dào
Gwoyeu Romatzyh	Shenn Daw
Wade–Giles	Shen4 Tao4
IPA	[ʂə̂n tâʊ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Sahn dou
Jyutping	San6 Dou3
Southern Min
Tâi-lô	Sīn Tàu
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese	dʑìn tàw
Old Chinese
Baxter–Sagart (2014)	*[d]i[n]-s tˤaw[k]-s
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese	慎子
Literal meaning	"Master Shen"
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Shènzǐ
Gwoyeu Romatzyh	Shenntzyy
Wade–Giles	Shen4-tzu3
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Sahn-jí
Jyutping	San6-zi2
Southern Min
Tâi-lô	Sīn-tsú
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese	dʑìn-tsí
Old Chinese
Baxter–Sagart (2014)	*[d]i[n]-s tsəʔ

Shen Dao
Shen Dao
慎到
Born	c. 350 BC
Died	c. 275 BC
Era	Ancient philosophy
Region	Chinese philosophy
School	Legalism, Proto-Daoism
Main interests	Fa (concept)

Shen Dao (c. 350 – c. 275 BC) was a Chinese philosopher and writer. He was a Chinese Legalist theoretician most remembered for his influence on Han Fei with regards to the concept of shi (勢; 'power', 'potential', circumstantial advantage or authority), but most of his book concerns the concept of fa (administrative methods and standards) more commonly by his school. Compared with western schools, Shen Dao considered laws that are not good "still preferable to having no laws at all."^[1]

Usually referred to as "Shenzi" (慎子 'Master Shen') for his writings, very little is known of Shen Dao's life. An itinerant philosopher from the state of Zhao, he was probably born about 350 BC, travelling to the city of Linzi (modern Zibo in Shandong) in 300 BC to become a member of the Jixia Academy. Shen probably left Linzi after its capture by the state of Yan in 285 BC, possibly moving to the Han kingdom and absorbing the Legalist traditions there. He died roughly 10 years later.^[2]^[3]

^ Graham, A. C. (2015-12-15). Disputers of the Tao: Philosophical Argument in Ancient China. Open Court. ISBN 978-0-8126-9942-5.
^ Knechtges (2014), p. 871.
^ Ching, Julia; Guisso, R. W. L. (1991). Sages and Filial Sons: Mythology and Archaeology in Ancient China. Chinese University Press. ISBN 978-962-201-469-5.

[1] Graham, A. C. (2015-12-15). Disputers of the Tao: Philosophical Argument in Ancient China. Open Court. ISBN 978-0-8126-9942-5.

[FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014871-2] Knechtges (2014), p. 871.

[3] Ching, Julia; Guisso, R. W. L. (1991). Sages and Filial Sons: Mythology and Archaeology in Ancient China. Chinese University Press. ISBN 978-962-201-469-5.

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