If Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) earned himself a name as the originator of the idea of political pragmatism because of his book The Prince, his Chinese counterpart Shang Yang (390-338 BC), prime minister of the Qin State in Warring States Period (475-221 BC), gained his fame as a Legalist (fajia, a school of thought for his book Shangjun Shu, or the Book of the Lord Shang). This article compares Niccolo Machiavelli and Shang Yang from many aspects. Readers can get a glimpse into the two philosophers by reading it.