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The Xia Value System
He treasures the state, friendship, duty, promises, kindness, vengeance,
honor, and righteousness more than his own life.
-- Liang Qichao
In The Chinese Knight-Errant, eight
common attributes of the xia are listed as altruism, justice, individualism,
loyalty, courage, truthfulness, disregard for wealth and desire for glory.
Except for individualism, these characteristics typify the Confucian junzi
(princeling, gentleman). The junzi embodied all of the traits of
the Confucian gentleman, among them:
ren (benevolence), zhong
(loyalty), yong (bravery) and yi (righteousness). Disregard
for riches was a product of the (Northern) Chinese disdain for merchants,
and was demonstrated by magnanimity, or indifference to monetary profit.
Thus, in many respects the values of the xia are merely an extension
of traditional Chinese mores. Few could live up to the standards of the
junzi,
though it was held up as the ideal. The best of the xia tried, but
most were subject to human foibles. Thus, not all xia were altruistic,
and many were acquisitive. Frequently their sense of justice was subjective,
and more often than not was in fact vengeance. Their sense of justice (and
altruism) could also be looked upon as part of a code of honor that embodied
certain elements of li (chivalry, propriety). Noble xia personified
chivalry, and even villainous xia would extend chivalry to those
they deemed capable of appreciating the notion of honor. Loyalty was one
virtue that defined any xia, but it was based on the oft ignored
principle of reciprocity. A xia who was not treated with due respect
did not feel any obligation to serve his patron with zeal. This was not
the blind loyalty promulgated by later Confucians. The courage of the xia
was that of any fighting man, and his truthfulness did not always imply
honesty. It had more to do with maintaining a reputation as one whose word
was sacred, and could often turn to intractability. Even the desire for
personal glory was not universal among xia. Some considered it counter
to the spirit of wude (martial virtue), which counseled humility
and forbearance.
What really set the xia apart from society
was their value on individualism, and their willingness to use force to
achieve their aims. Thus despite the fact that most of their beliefs were
quite mainstream, xia were seen as a part of the counterculture.
The individualism of the xia manifested itself as non-conformity
with respect to certain traditional conventions. The xia were criticized
for placing personal loyalty above family loyalty. Often, an oath sworn
to a stranger was considered more important than the unspoken obligation
between family members. This was a serious breech of Confucian propriety.
To further outrage social convention, many xia had great disregard
for authority. Those who were ostensibly their social superiors were often
treated with open contempt, while those of humble status were shown great
courtesy. Some characterize this behavior as rebelliousness, but in many
cases it was due to a sense of egalitarianism. The
xia valued individuals
over what they considered arbitrary labels of family and status, and were
not loath to challenge such notions.
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