The Chinese philosopher traditionally credited with writing the Han Feizi is Han Fei.
Han Fei was a thinker of the late Warring States period and the leading name associated with Legalist political philosophy. The Han Feizi combines arguments about law, administrative technique, ruler power, and human motivation with historical anecdotes and criticism of rival schools, including Confucianism.
The received work is traditionally attributed to Han Fei, but scholars recognize that it may include material compiled or edited by later followers. Han Fei drew on earlier Legalist thinkers such as Shang Yang, Shen Buhai, and Shen Dao, while bringing their concerns together in a powerful account of centralized rule.
Han Fei’s ideas influenced the Qin state and later discussions of government. His philosophy is not Taoism, although some passages show engagement with ideas associated with the Daodejing. This overlap is one reason early Chinese intellectual traditions should not be treated as completely isolated schools.