Many of the important ideas that would be transmitted and repeated throughout Chinese history began early in that history, as early as the Chou dynasty and before. Some of these conceptions are reflected in the literature of the era and would reappear in later literature. These ideas can be seen in early historical writings such as "The Downfall of Prince Shen-sheng," and a variety of cultural and social elements of the time can be discerned in this story.
An important theme in Chinese literature is the responsibilities that devolve to the ruler, and this theme is clearly important in the story under discussion. It was a theme that developed early in Chinese history:
For unexplainable reasons the Chinese, as early as the first millennium before Christ, during the Zhou (Chou) dynasty, developed an awareness of government and began to ask what the ideal form of the state should be. Early in history thinkers articulated a sense of social malaise and proposed tactical and strategic ways for altering conditions, making the Chinese unique among ancient peoples (Pye 31).
The question of what is the right way to rule infuses the story of Prince Shen-sheng. At this time, leadership was still primarily a matter of heredity. The Prince is designated crown prince because he is the eldest son of Duke Hsien, but the birth of Hsi-ch'i causes the duke to change his mind and alter the succession. Even at this early period, it is seen as right to question wrong decisions by the ruler, as does Pi Cheng when he questions this change:
I have heard. . . that he who serves his ruler follows what is right but does not flatter the ruler's delusions. If the ruler is deluded the people will be misled, and if the people are misled they will abandon virtue (Birch 35).
Hsun Hsi expresses the differing view that the ruler should always be obeyed: "Whomsoever the ruler establishes as his successor we should follow. What right have we to quest...