韓非認爲用與美有兩種相反關係：一種是兩者相矛盾，故用應取代美；另一種是以用來界定美，使美不但與用一致，且還有助於用。用與美的兩種相反關係如何構成韓非政治哲學的主要成份，即本文的研究對象。韓非政治哲學的基礎之一是托克維爾所說的個人主義，也就是在小團體內追求實用之利。由於他認爲普通人民不能理解社會或國家這些抽象實體，所以需要法律來延伸人的經濟理性，讓人民經常將公共福祉當做自己的最佳利益。大用或全民的大利會因人受到美的吸引而削弱，故韓非排斥美的事物。由於仁義是美的，他所排斥的可以稱爲社會美學。然而除了這種敵意，他也看到美學爲國家效力的可能性，而願意容納美學，這就是他的國家美學，也就是將國家提倡的價值和使用的工具視爲美的。
Contrary relations between utility and beauty are conceived by Han Fei: one is that the two are incompatible and utility should take the place of beauty, while the other has to do with redefining beauty in light of utility, and thus not only making the two compatible, but also having the former provide support to the latter. How these contrasting relations between utility and beauty constitute a major portion of his political philosophy is the concern of this study. Han Fei's political philosophy rests on, among other things, what Tocqueville called individualism, or the pursuit of utility in a small or intimate group. Since he did not believe that common folk could envision the abstract entity of a society or nation, laws were necessary to extend human economic rationality so that people would always regard common welfare as being in their best private interests. The greater utility or common welfare will, however, be hindered if people are diverted toward beautiful things, hence Han Fei's condemnation of the beautiful. As far as moral things are beautiful, he condemns what can be properly be referred to as social aesthetics. Yet, despite the hostility, he still accommodates aesthetics when he sees the possibility of bringing it to the service of the state. That would be state aesthetics, i.e., the doctrine that all values and instruments installed by the state are beautiful.
