Hu Shi and the Modern Transformation of Traditional Chinese Philosophy

Author: Guo Shuxin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: Most of the current understanding of traditional Chinese philosophy is based on the framework and methods used by philosophical predecessors, especially Hu Shi, to explain Chinese philosophy using Western philosophical theories. In light of this, clarifying and examining the issue of how Hu Shi relied on Western philosophy to interpret Chinese philosophy, exploring the strengths and weaknesses of his theories, will not only benefit the comparative study of Chinese and Western philosophy but also contribute to the rethinking of contemporary Chinese philosophy. The excitement of this book does not lie in the academic views proposed by Hu Shi himself, but rather in his pioneering role in the history of thought and its profound influence.
As a pioneer and founder of modern Chinese philosophy, Hu Shi once stirred up a whirlwind in the Chinese philosophical circles at the beginning of the 20th century. His Outlines of the History of Chinese Philosophy was the first model for modern Chinese scholars to learn from Western philosophical academic norms, theoretical frameworks, and methods to write the history of Chinese philosophy and achieve a synthesis of Chinese and Western philosophy. This model made epoch-making contributions to the establishment of the discipline of the history of Chinese philosophy, the transformation of research paradigms in Chinese philosophical studies, and the founding of modern Chinese philosophy.
From the perspective of combining history and theory, the author of this book dialectically examines the relationship between Hu Shi and the modern transformation of traditional Chinese philosophy. It systematically analyzes Hu Shi's contributions and limitations in the process of transforming Chinese philosophy from tradition to modernity. It also poses contemporary questions about the legitimacy of Chinese philosophy, providing a new perspective for in-depth research and reevaluation of Hu Shi's philosophical thought.