The Burden of Liberalism (A Modern Interpretation of Hu Shih's Thought)

Author: Ouyang Zhesheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-01
Features: This book was published for the second time in August 2007. German philosopher Immanuel Kant once said, "I am not afraid of proving I am wrong, but I am afraid of being misunderstood." Hu Shi also had a similar sorrow. Upon closer examination, the irreconcilable controversies and differing opinions surrounding Hu Shi during his lifetime and after his death were primarily directed at his thoughts. Those who praised him certainly acknowledged the influence of his thoughts, but whether they truly grasped the essence of his ideas remains questionable. Those who criticized him, having put in so much effort to denounce him, naturally aimed to eradicate the "poison" of his thoughts.
Series Introduction
The name "Elu" is inspired by the famous (Elu Academy) in Lianshan, Jiangxi, during the Southern Song Dynasty. Zhu Xi, Lu Jiuliang, Lu Jiuyuan, and Lü Zuxian once gathered here to debate the philosophy of "nature and principle," an event later known as the "Elu Conference." It became a celebrated anecdote in the scholarly community and spread far and wide. Later, the "Elu Conference" came to symbolize a grand academic spectacle and tradition, representing the phenomenon of various academic thoughts and schools "flourishing like a hundred flowers in bloom" and the scholarly atmosphere of mutual refinement and encouragement among different ideas. In recent decades, the "import—imitation" trend in China's humanities and social sciences has gradually faded, while the pursuit of "creation—participation" has become increasingly prominent. After the fervent and dynamic 1980s and the introspective accumulation of the 1990s, Chinese academia is now advancing toward deeper refinement. This "Elu Academic Series" is born from this aspiration to flourish scholarship.
Guided by the principles of "academic originality," "Chinese discourse," and "critical awareness," this series differs from the compiled and translated books (plentiful in the market) and transcends the repetitive and uninspired academic bubbles of mere accumulation without innovation.