韓非知道人類行為是多樣的，而現有三種對韓非人論的詮釋未能 對其所敘述的人類行為多樣性提供周全或合理的解釋，因此需要重新 探討。
韓非所敘述的人類行為可分為三個類型：自己至上的放肆利己 觀、在禮法規範下求利的審慎利已觀、和追求美善與利他的高貴利已 觀。實存狀況是權力菁英崇尚放肆利己觀，而其他人（上至君主，下 至平民）認同高貴利己觀，至於審慎利己觀雖非實存狀況，但卻是韓 非所嚮往的新國家之基礎。
實存中的高貴和放肆利己傾向是由人的四個組成成分所生出的。 人的性與情是相似的概念，造成人重視自己的生命、關心自己和他人 的福利。人的心和氣增強這些基本傾向，使人變為過份愛利自已和他 人，這又分為無恥擴權的自愛，與學習經書和增長德行的自愛。後者 是社會輿論所認可的，認可的原因來自於美感上的愉悦。
韓非的意圖是把過份愛利的人（權力菁英和其他人）教化為審慎 利己的人，為達此目的，需要社會工程以關閉心和氣的審美能力，及 從審慎愛利的性與情中篩檢出審慎利己的性向。

Han Fei knows that human conduct is quite varied, but the current three main interpretations of his view of human beings fail to give a comprehensive and reasonable account. Therefore, a fresh approach is needed.
Human conduct as described by Han Fei can be divided into a three types: an unrestrained, self-aggrandizing pursuit of self-interest, a prudent pursuit of self-interest conducted within the framework of rules (e.g., law, morality and convention), and a noble pursuit of self-interest through attaining goodness and beauty in oneself and by acting altruistically. On Han Fei’s view, in reality the power elites practice the unrestrained pursuit of self-interest, while most people (from princes down to commoners) approve the noble pursuit of self-interest, and as for the second, prudent pursuit of self-interest, it is rarely realized, but as the rational foundation of the new state, it is what Han Fei aspires to.
The unrestrained and noble pursuits of self-interest that Han Fei considers to be common are generated by four elements in people: human nature, innate dispositions, the heart, and vital energy. The former two are similar; they cause a person to value his own life and to care for the welfare of himself and others, in accordance with the framework of rules. The latter two amplify these former two fundamental inclinations and make a person love benefit excessively, either in the direction of ruthless self-seeking or in the opposite direction of learning the classics and cultivating virtue. The latter direction, i.e. the noble pursuit of self-interest,is what public opinion endorses, and this endorsement is in turn based on aesthetic pleasure that learning and virtue provide.
Han Fei aims to transform those who have excessive love of benefit (both the power elites and the rest) into people who engage in the prudent pursuit of self-interest. This goal requires social engineering in order to shut down the aesthetic activities of the heart and vital energy, and then one can draw a tendency toward prudent pursuit of self-interest out of human nature and innate dispositions, which themselves originally incline to prudent love of benefit.