Legalism, or fajia (法家), the philosophical school that animated Wei Yuan’s Statecraft Anthology, rejected Confucian personal and political ethics.

Traditional Confucian thought stressed loyalty, family, rituals, and harmony as the foundations of a virtuous ruler and a well-governed state. Legalists, by contrast, believe a ruler should be guided by two simple principles, “a wealthy country and a strong army,” fuguo qiangbing (富国强兵). An early proponent of Legalism was Shang Yang, an ancient Chinese ruler who would later interest a young Mao Zedong.