Han Feizi: “A dike a thousand li…”

Source and attribution

The archive attributes this English wording to Han Feizi, Illustrations of Laozi and files it under Legalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.

About Han Feizi

Han Feizi (c. 280–233 BCE) was the major synthesizer of Legalism (fajia) in late Warring States China.

How to read this passage

This passage is indexed under . Those labels identify the concepts it can illuminate; they do not replace the argument surrounding it in Han Feizi, Illustrations of Laozi.

How to cite this quotation

APA: Han Feizi. (n.d.). A dike a thousand li long can collapse from an ant hole. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0461

MLA: Han Feizi. “A dike a thousand li long can collapse….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0461.

Chicago: Han Feizi. “A dike a thousand li long can collapse….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0461.

Frequently asked questions

What is the source of the quotation “A dike a thousand li long can collapse…”?

The passage is attributed to Han Feizi, Han Feizi, Illustrations of Laozi. The archive attributes this English wording to Han Feizi, Illustrations of Laozi and files it under Legalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.

What does Han Feizi mean by philosophy?