Outer Treasury Sayings
Updated 2026-08-22
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Wai Chu Shuo, a set of chapters in the Han Feizi, means a treasury of sayings kept outside, a reserve of historical cases and stories used to substantiate and illuminate abstract principles for a ruler. It models the mutual proof of theory and case: when stating an abstract view, attach a concrete case; when analyzing a case, distill the abstract principle from it.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Store before you need it: collect and classify usable cases before the argument arrives. - Argue with cases: attach one concrete instance to every abstract claim you make. - Abstract from cases: when reading a case, name the general principle it instantiates.
Anchor fast decisions
An abstract principle stated alone can be nodded past without being tested; a case carries the constraint of what actually happened, so it either confirms the principle or embarrasses it. Pairing them in both directions, principle to case and case to principle, is what makes the standard of proof reciprocal.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9F%A9%E9%9D%9E%E5%AD%90verified
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