virtues
of a thief
5
Robber Zhi (盜跖) is one of the stock characters of the Zhuangzi, frequently invoked to poke holes in the tenets of other philosophers and generally Confucians. This cheeky list, which sums up the ‘dao’ of being a thief, is a comical subversion of the qualities that the ruists (Confucians) espoused. The satirical passage is part of a broader point; the sages disturbed the natural order by introducing the artificial desire for virtuous qualities. Though a few good people may result, the society they create gives rise to evil people who can abuse the structures to their own ends. “When sages are born great thieves arise.”
5
virtues
of a thief
Robber Zhi (盜跖) is one of the stock characters of the Zhuangzi, frequently invoked to poke holes in the tenets of other philosophers and generally Confucians. This cheeky list, which sums up the ‘dao’ of being a thief, is a comical subversion of the qualities that the ruists (Confucians) espoused. The satirical passage is part of a broader point; the sages disturbed the natural order by introducing the artificial desire for virtuous qualities. Though a few good people may result, the society they create gives rise to evil people who can abuse the structures to their own ends. “When sages are born great thieves arise.”
CULTURAL NOTE
The very concept of putting things into neat lists (the raison d’être of this very site) is decidedly antithetical to the Daoist ethos found in texts such as Zhuangzi and Daodejing, which resists wholeheartedly the attempt to categorise and delineate. Part of the point of Robber Zhi’s five virtues is not only that the Confucian virtues are relative to the desires of the subject observing them, but also to give a philosophical eye-roll at the Confucian obsession with placing things into neat boxes.
聖
shèng
sagehood
“…appraising the valuables in a room – that’s sagehood.”
夫妄意室中之藏,聖也
勇
yǒng
courage
“…being the first to break in – that’s courage.”
入先,勇也
義
yì
righteousness
“….being the last one out – that’s righteousness.”
出後,義也
知
zhī
understanding
“…deciding whether the raid is possible – that’s understanding.”
知可否,知也
仁
rén
benevolence
“…dividing the spoils fairly – that’s benevolence”
分均,仁也
Sources and Further Reading
Ctext.org
Parallel text of the Zhuangzi
https://ctext.org/zhuangzi/cutting-open-satchels
The Book of Zhuangzi
Translated by Martin Palmer
Penguin Group 2006
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