Shen Dao

Shen Dao (c. 350 – c. 275 BC) was an early to mid Warring states period Chinese philosopher and writer. Noteworthy as a predecessor influencing both Han Fei and Daoism, his remaining fragments are the most substantial of any Jixia Academy scholar, and may have been well known. Sima Qian discusses him with Jixia academy scholars, taking him as rooted in Huang-Lao (Daoism). Early remembered modernly for his influence on the Han Feizi with regards the concept of shi (勢; 'power', 'potential', circumstantial advantage or authority), most of his work would appear to have concerned the concept of fa (administrative methods and standards, including laws) commonly shared by others that the Han Confucian archivists classified as Legalist, and does share some early administrative features with them.

In contrast to Han Fei, Xun Kuang took Shen Buhai as more focused on power, and Shen Dao more focused on fa. Making some discussion of law, in his time, Shen Dao was more concerned with having laws. He argued the value of bad laws over no laws for the sake of stability, but does prefer good laws. Although discussing reward and punishment like the more legalistic Shang Yang, he was otherwise more focused on administration, advocating their distribution more through impartial administrative mechanisms. In some ways, this makes him him more comparable with administrator Shen Buhai. With Shen Dao early more well known, it is possible Shen Buhai or Shen Dao knew of or even influenced the other, but less likely either were familiar with Shang Yang, with the Han Feizi Shang Yang's first reference.