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Legalism

The rigorous and ruthless adherence to the word of the law, usually combined with a policy to regulate as much as possible.

A policy of law enforcement or interpretation, or legal philosophy, which purports to regulate as much as possible and to insist upon the adherence of the letter of the law regardless of the circumstances.

Legalism is often said to have originated in China (called fa jia) in about 400 BC as a check to Confucianism and what some saw as the associated moral laxness of Chinese citizens. Legalism's primary Chinese proponents were Siun-tseu (315-236 BC), Han Fei and Li Si.

REFERENCES:

Duhaime, Lloyd, China - A Legal History, Part 2, published at duhaime.org/LegalResources/LawMuseum/tabid/345/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/366/China--A-Legal-History--Part-2.aspx

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Unless otherwise noted, this article was written by Lloyd Duhaime, Barrister, Solicitor, Attorney and Lawyer (and Notary Public!). It is not intended to be legal advice and you would be foolhardy to rely on it in respect to any specific situation you or an acquaintance may be facing. In addition, the law changes rapidly and sometimes with little notice so from time to time, an article may not be up to date. Therefore, this is merely legal information designed to educate the reader. If you have a real situation, this information will serve as a good springboard to get legal advice from a lawyer.

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