This article deals with the political thought of Yin Wen Zi. We leave open the question of the academic school to which this text belongs as well as the question of when this text had been written down.

We find the core thesis of Yin Wen Zi is to make clear boundaries in all dimensions of public affairs. We also realize that the understanding above dwells on the epistemological concern of Yin Wen Zi. Taoism, accompanied by Confucianism and Legalism, has been taken as the basic foundation of this text. Yin Wen Zi argued that adequate dialogue and correct interaction between the name (Ming 名) and reality (Shi 實) formed good governance. By emphasizing the fusion of Taoist philosophy with legal philosophy, Yin Wen Zi constructed a natural political ruling system within the ruling system of the monarchy for emperors that were searching for a good (or even ideal) political order.