Hu Shi and China's Cultural Renaissance

Author: (American) Gried, translated by Lu Qi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1993-07-01
Features: This book studies the thoughts of Hu Shi (1891-1962) and his contributions to exploring China's intellectual response to the modern world, making it a biographical work on thought. It is a significant work by the renowned American sinologist Dr. J.B. Gried, who examines the mindset and fate of modern Chinese intellectuals. The author sets the backdrop of the collision between Eastern and Western cultures before and after the May Fourth Movement, overlooking the overall trend of the cultural renaissance from 1917 to 1937 over 20 years. Through an analysis of the theories and intellectual activities of the outstanding representative of the Chinese intellectual class, Hu Shi, the book argues for the necessity and difficulty of modernizing efforts on this ancient land. By revealing the personal tragedy of Hu Shi, the book exposes a profound truth: if China's enlightenment figures and elite groups fail to completely break away from feudal traditions in terms of personality and emotion, then all their modernization efforts and struggles will remain unsuccessful.