Commemorate 10 great gentlemen, 10 major speeches, and 10 great spirits of the "May Fourth Movement."
On May 4, 1919, the May Fourth Movement broke out.
Today is May 4, 2023, the 104th anniversary of the May Fourth Movement.
We commemorate May Fourth not for nostalgia, but to inherit an era and spirit.
Ru Fengjun selected 10 big speeches of 10 great gentlemen, let's revisit the 10 May Fourth spirits together.
1
Law Jialun
Classic remarks:
China before May Fourth was a dying and quiet China; China after May Fourth was a naïve and lively China. The credit of the May Fourth Movement is to make China "move"!
Spiritual Insights:
Mr. Law Jialun is a student leader of Peking University in the May Fourth Movement and the initiator of the slogan of the May Fourth Movement.
A year after the May Fourth Movement, he published an article in the New Wave: The greatest success of May Fourth was not in refusing to sign the German treaty, not in removing Cao, Lu, and Zhang, but in making China "move."
May Fourth is like a waterline between static and moving.
From the awakening of a small number of advanced elements, the awakening of the whole nation was aroused like a stormy wave.
The vast number of patriotic students, workers, citizens, businessmen, and people from all walks of life have discovered their own strength, broken the shackles that they did not dare to break before, and put forward demands that they did not dare to put forward before.
The spirit of patriotism and progress has also been maintained and carried forward, injecting endless vitality and impetus into the new democratic revolution.
2
Chen Yinke
Classic remarks:
But this spirit of independence and free thought has been worshipped for thousands of years, and has been with the heavens for a long time, and there are three lights and eternal light.
Spiritual Insights:
This sentence is a memorial text written by Mr. Chen Yinke for Mr. Wang Guowei ten years after the May Fourth Movement.
"Independent spirit, free thought", just ten words, but it breaks through the night sky of wisdom.
Maintaining an independent and free will, seeking the truth and carrying forward the truth is not only the duty of education, but also the motto of our reading and knowledge.
Although this sentence does not say in the May Fourth period, it is the best interpretation of the May Fourth Movement's pursuit of independence and freedom.
3
Lu Xun
Classic remarks:
Since ancient times, there have been people who have buried their heads in hard work, people who have worked hard and hard, people who have asked for the people's life, and people who have sacrificed their lives to seek the law... Although it is equivalent to writing the so-called "true history" for the emperors, it often cannot hide their brilliance, which is the backbone of China.
Spiritual Insights:
Mr. Lu Xun was the most influential writer in the May Fourth Movement.
In his article "Have Chinese Lost Your Self-Confidence", he told us in a rare affectionate tone: Self-help and self-confidence are the backbone of the Chinese nation that cannot be defeated.
It is the indomitable hard work and hard work of generations of people, and the long-standing perseverance that has won a strong and rejuvenated Chinese nation.
Contemporary youth should also dare to be pioneers, not be spectators, live up to the times, live up to Shaohua, and live up to the May Fourth predecessors, which is precisely the essential significance of our grand commemoration of the May Fourth Movement today.
4
Cai Yuanpei
Classic remarks:
To have a good society, we must first have good individuals, and to have good individuals, we must first have good education.
Spiritual Insights:
Mr. Cai Yuanpei is a well-known educator, revolutionary and democratic progressive.
Peking University is not only the birthplace of the May Fourth Movement, but also the center of the New Culture Movement.
And all this is inseparable from Mr. Cai Yuanpei's idea of free thinking and inclusive education.
As the president of Peking University at the time, he opened up the wind of "academics" and "freedom", lighting up the ideological light for the May Fourth youth.
At the same time, it also makes reading without forgetting patriotism, patriotism and the spirit of reading, deeply integrated into the bones and blood of the Chinese people.
5
Liang Qichao
Classic remarks:
The youth is wise and the country is wise, the youth is rich and the country is rich, the youth is strong and the country is strong, the youth is independent then the country is independent, the youth is free and the country is free, the youth is better than Europe then the country is progressive, the youth is better than Europe then the country is better than Europe, and the youth is stronger than the earth then the country is stronger than the earth.
Spiritual Insights:
Mr. Liang Qichao has devoted his life to the transformation of Chinese society.
From the May Fourth Movement, he has always firmly attacked the absolute monarchy and advocated democracy and freedom.
Although this song "Young China Says" is his hope for Chinese youth who have failed to change the law and are in exile, it has also opened a window of new learning and change for countless domestic young people of insight.
Young people should have patriotism and the May Fourth spirit of having an independent atmosphere, which is in the same vein as Liang Qichao's young Chinese spirit.
6
Qu Qiubai
Classic remarks:
Only real life can be learned, only real life can teach people, and only real life can produce social thoughts.
Spiritual Insights:
Mr. Qu Qiubai is a stalwart of the May Fourth Movement and a great Marxist.
He is very knowledgeable, blends ancient and modern, and learns both Chinese and Western, but he is clearly opposed to sitting and talking.
In his view, only by organically integrating Marxism with China's reality can China be saved.
The May Fourth spirit of "reading for the rise of China" and his insight into opposing bookism are the most precious assets he left for future generations.
7
Chen Duxiu
Classic remarks:
We love a country where the country seeks happiness for the people, not a country where the people sacrifice for the country.
Spiritual Insights:
Mr. Chen Duxiu, the founder of the New Youth Magazine, is the leader of the May Fourth Movement.
A month after the May Fourth Movement broke out, he published "Should We Be Patriotic" in the Weekly Review.
After the Shandong incident, patriotism rose sharply to 108,000 zhang, but only with reason as the basis of emotional impulses can patriotic feelings remain warm, solid, and unshakable.
We must love the people's country, not the country that oppresses the people, and uphold the spirit of rationality and patriotism.
8
Li Dazhao
Classic remarks:
They can block the sun in the sky, but they cannot block the light of democracy.
Spiritual Insights:
Mr. Li Dazhao was the earliest Marxist in China and a pioneer of the revolution.
After returning to China in 1916, he actively participated in the May Fourth Movement, propagating the spirit of democracy and attacking feudal dogma.
Even in the face of death, he did not reform his determination and passion, and after shouting "sacrifice for ism", he calmly became righteous.
His boundless loyalty to the revolution and fearless dedication were a shining example for all revolutionaries and perpetuated the democratic republic in the hearts of the people.
9
Hu Shi
Classic remarks:
China is not completely without progress, but the inertia is too great, three steps forward and two steps back, so it is still the same.
Spiritual Insights:
Mr. Hu Shih, the pioneer of the vernacular literary movement, was the vanguard of the May Fourth New Culture Movement.
This sentence is a sharp criticism of China's educational maladies at that time after returning to China.
If the school teaches only talents who can neither do nor do things, it must be the education of the dead country.
Only with the spirit of hard work, prosperity and diligence can the Chinese nation flourish and prosper.
10
Fu Sinian
Classic remarks:
At present, there is only China in the world with an ancient civilization, and we cannot live up to our status as a pioneer of civilization.
Spiritual Insights:
Mr. Fu Sinian was the student leader of the May Fourth Movement and the commander-in-chief of the march.
After May Fourth, he actively engaged in science education, and was also a famous historian and expert in the study of classical literature.
This sentence is his public speech on the fourth anniversary of National Taiwan University, calling on the younger generation to love the country and others.
Chinese culture has always been in the same vein and has never stopped flowing, precisely because whenever this country and civilization are in a state of life and death, there are countless sons and daughters of China who have committed themselves to the country.