Shun Culture

Following the cultural and social devastation of the mid-twentieth century, posttraditional, post-Marxist China is experiencing a resurgence of interest in numerous traditional cultural elements, including the figure of the ancient sage-king Shun (舜) through what is being called Shun Culture (舜文化). This issue of Contemporary Chinese Thought is devoted to bringing this phenomenon to light as it is expressed among the intellectual elite of contemporary mainland China. This introduction highlights significant features of the discourse that occurs within this phenomenon, raising questions regarding the claims and perspectives presented, and probing a possible alternative to these claims by means of the role and values associated with a “cultural hero” and through engagement with a contemporary Anglo-European ethical discussion.