His scandal brought shame to the cultural establishment.
Tips
history
斯文 ('this culture') comes from 《论语·子罕》, where Confucius used it for the civilizing tradition. Qing writer Xu Ke's 《清稗类钞》 paired it with 扫地 (swept to the ground) for this idiom.
register
Formal, literary. Used specifically about the loss of dignity among the educated class or the debasement of cultural/intellectual standards — not general embarrassment.
