Shen Dao (c. 350 – c. 275 BC) was a mid Warring states period Chinese philosopher and writer. Noteworthy as a predecessor influencing both Han Fei and Daoism, his remaining fragments are the most substantial of any Jixia Academy scholar. In connection with the flourishing academy, he may have been well known; with references in the Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Huangdi Sijing, and later Huainanzi, he retained some individual significance into the early Han dynasty. Evidently influencing the Lushi Chunqiu, he has often been argued to influence the Guanzi.

As introduced by Feng Youlan, Shen Dao was early remembered modernly for his influence on the Han Feizi, most notably chapter 40, with regards the concept of shi (勢; 'power', 'potential', circumstantial advantage or authority). Sima Qian discusses him amongst the Jixia academy scholars, taking him as rooted in Huang-Lao (Daoism). Later classified by the Confucian archivists as Legalist together with others from the Han Feizi, he shares some comparable early administrative ideas with them, and was likely the most well known of them earlier in the Warring States period.

Xun Kuang criticized Shen Buhai as more focused on power, and Shen Dao as "obsessed by fa." Most of Shen Dao's work would appear to have concerned fa, a concept including administrative methods and standards as including laws, advocating that reward and punishment be based in fa rather than the ruler's judgements.

Making some discussion of law, in his time, Shen Dao argued the value of laws that are not good (不善) over no laws as still contributing to a more equitable distribution of goods and properties as preventing resentment, especially against the ruler. But he does prefer good laws, advocating that punishment and reward be proportionate rather than extreme. He still bases the appointment of tasks and officials in the ruler's discretion; Shen Buhai and Han Fei tried to base appointment in administrative method.

Although discussing reward and punishment like the more legalistic Shang Yang, he was otherwise more focused on administration, advocating their distribution through both laws and impartial administrative mechanisms. This tendency in some ways makes him more comparable with administrator Shen Buhai. With Shen Dao early more well known, it is possible one might have known of or even influenced the other, but less likely either were familiar with Shang Yang, with the Han Feizi Shang Yang's first reference.

Thompson states that the Shenzi was available until the fall of the Tang dynasty, though not in its original edition. Shen Dao's own original 42 essays have been lost. With only 7 fragments still extant, he is known largely through short references and the writings of others, notably the Han Feizi and Zhuangzi. A critical reconstruction of the lost Shenzi was made by Paul Thompson, and published in 1979 as The Shen Tzu Fragments.^{[citation needed]}

In 2007, the Shanghai Museum published a collection of texts written on bamboo slips from the state of Chu dating to the Warring States period, including six bamboo slips with sayings of Shenzi. These are the only known examples of the text of Shenzi that are contemporaneous with its composition.

Xun Kuang considered Shen's style grandiose.