Reinterpreting the Legend of Emperor Shun

My article revisits the legend of Emperor Shun, a legendary leader in ancient China, from the perspective of Jungian psychology to illustrate Shun’s journey of individuation in the process of becoming a sage-king. The legend of Shun is generally interpreted in Chinese culture as the archetypal story of filial piety, and I argue against this narrow understanding. I discuss the archetypes that appear in the legend of Shun in the following order: Gusou, the earthly father; Yao, the sacred Emperor-Father; Wodeng, the sacred mother; Ehuang and Nüying, the anima; and Xiang, the shadow. My article can be useful for those working with Chinese analysands and supervisees. The intergenerational conflicts that currently exist in Chinese families often tend to limit the development of individuation. What’s worse, parents emotionally bind their children using vulgarized filial piety as a reason for blind obedience. If there is recognition of the fact that even the classic tale of filial piety recognized the need for individuation, such crude and damaging demands of “filial piety” may lose their force.