YMMV / The Book of Lord Shang

• Fair for Its Day: In Lord Shang's time, China had been in near-continuous war ever since the Zhou Dynasty began to weaken in the 8th century BC, leaving its vassal states free to cannibalize each other. Qin before Lord Shang was a weak backwater state under real threat of conquest. Whatever else, Legalism did turn Qin into a military superpower and end centuries of brutal war... before it fell apart in a world that no longer needed war, and which was much larger in magnitude than what Legalist theories were capable of handling.
• Never Live It Down: The Legalist philosophy's reputation is largely colored by Lord Shang's infamy, to the extent that other, more popular legalists such as Han Fei and Shen Dao are overshadowed.

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