李克 / Li Ke (Li Kui)
李克 / Li Ke appears in 《资治通鉴·周纪》06丨魏文侯选谁当宰相呢（1） as 魏文侯’s adviser on chancellor selection. When asked to choose between 魏成 and 翟黄, he avoids naming a winner directly and instead gives five situational character tests for judging people.
The episode also makes Li Ke a mediator between two talent standards. In the chancellor case, he helps Wei Wenhou compare referral quality rather than only visible service. In the 吴起 case, he acknowledges Wu Qi’s troubling desires and reputation but argues that his military ability is too valuable for 魏国 to ignore, placing Li Ke beside Use Strengths Over Faults / 用人取长弃短 and in tension with Talent-Virtue Distinction / 才德之分.
The source notes that Li Ke is also known as Li Kui / 李悝 and links him to early Warring States reform and legal thought. It treats his legal tradition as part of the background later associated with 商鞅 and Legalist Ruler Technique / 法家君术, while keeping that larger intellectual genealogy compact and source-scoped.
Connections
- 魏文侯, 魏国, 魏成, and 翟黄 - chancellor-selection setting.
- Situational Character Tests / 五观识人法 and Talent Referral Quality / 荐才层级质量 - main personnel-judgment concepts from the source.
- 吴起, Use Strengths Over Faults / 用人取长弃短, and Talent-Virtue Distinction / 才德之分 - flawed-talent military-use branch.
- 商鞅 and Legalist Ruler Technique / 法家君术 - later reform/legal tradition adjacency.