The Chinese statesman Li Ssu (ca. 280-208 BC) was prime minister during much of the short but important Ch'in dynasty. His policies were of crucial importance to the dynasty and set precedents that were followed for the next 2,000 years.

Li Ssu was a native of the state of Ch'u in the Yangtze Valley. As a young man, he was a minor clerk in his home state. He was a student of Hsün Ch'ing (often referred to as Hsüntzu). Hsün Ch'ing was a Confucianist, but he set new directions for Confucianism that made it much more compatible with Legalism than had theretofore been the case. Legalism, in essence, was a highly authoritarian doctrine which aimed primarily at strengthening the ruler and controlling the populace thorough rewards and punishments rigidly applied. It was devoid of the humanistic values of Confucianism.

At this time the...