韓非
Shen's most famous successor, Han Fei (c. 280 – 233 BC), synthesized the thought of the other Legalists in his eponymous text, the "Han Feizi". Written around 240 BC, the "Han Feizi" is commonly thought of as the greatest of all Legalist texts, and is believed to contain the first commentaries on the "Tao Te Ching" in history. The grouping together of thinkers that would eventually be dubbed "Fa-Jia" or "Legalists" can be traced to Han Fei. Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" incorporates both a Taoist philosophy of inaction and impartiality, and a Legalist system of punishment and rewards, recalling Han Fei's concepts of power () and tactics (). Attracting the attention of the First Emperor, it is often said that succeeding emperors followed the template set by Han Fei.