The name Hu Shi is fraught with controversy in modern Chinese history. A highly educated intellectual will end up wandering in the political ocean, both criticized by the left and disappointed by the right.
Hu Shi, born in Shanghai in 1891 to an unassuming family, lived a legendary life. The young Hu Shih had a great thirst for learning, and this desire eventually led him to Cornell University in the United States to study under Dewey. Although there were later rumors that his Ph.D. was fake, it is undeniable that he absorbed a lot of nutrients from Western philosophy.
In 1916, history gave Hu Shi a huge stage, and the inclusive policy implemented by Cai Yuanpei, the president of Peking University, made the university a melting pot of ideas. At that time, Peking University was like a lighthouse, attracting countless sparks of thought to collide here. Hu Shi is young, but because of his academic background in the United States, he was able to take root at Peking University.
Hu Shih's real rise is due to his contribution to the New Culture Movement. He strongly opposed the constraints of classical Chinese and advocated the use of vernacular Chinese, which was like a stone in the academic circles of the time. His ideas not only won widespread support, but also set off a cultural revolution among the younger generation. These young students, including the young Mao Zedong, would go on to become promoters of China's modernization.
At that time, Mao Zedong was in a period of transition in his personal thinking. He was deeply influenced by Hu Shih's thoughts, especially his enthusiasm for the New Culture Movement. The two had many exchanges in Beijing, and Mao Zedong was full of admiration for Hu Shi. The wheels of history roll forward, and the relationship between the two has changed subtly over time.
In the context of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Civil War between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, Hu Shih's position gradually became clear, and he chose to side with the Kuomintang. This decision strained his relations with the Communist Party. In particular, the two things he did on the eve of leaving the mainland made Mao Zedong completely disappointed in him.
Hu Shih was a vocal critic of the Communist Party's policies, especially on land reform and cultural policy. He believes that these policies are too radical and could lead to destabilization in the country. Before leaving China, Hu Shih engaged in a series of intensive discussions with intellectuals in the United States and other Western countries, trying to seek external support to counter the influence of the Communist Party. In Mao Zedong's view, this behavior was a great disloyalty and betrayal of New China, and Mao Zedong's disappointment with Hu Shi was heavy and resolute.
These two events of Hu Shi are not only a manifestation of personal choice, but also reflect the fierce divisions of that era. In the confrontation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, Hu Shih tried to find a middle line, but the great wheel of history is cruel, and it does not allow ambiguous positions to exist. Hu Shih's actions, seen as a betrayal by the left and an irresolute position by the right, ultimately put him in an awkward position among the two major political forces.
Hu Shi's life is full of irony. A man who was once seen as the leader of the New Culture Movement and promoted the modernization of Chinese culture ended up being a model of displeasure on both sides. Although his academic achievements, especially in the exploration of the history of Chinese philosophy, have been criticized to a certain extent, his positive role in the promotion and reform of Chinese culture cannot be erased. The reason why Hu Shi became a controversial figure is inextricably related to the background of his times, personal choices, and the great changes in history.
This former cultural hero, Hu Shi in his later years was more reflective and introspective. During his years in Taiwan, although he was still active in the academic field, his heart seemed to remain forever in that era full of turmoil and change. Hu Shi's life is a complex and contradictory microcosm of China's modernization process, and each of his choices reflects the interplay of light and shadow of that era.
Hu Shi's life is a historical drama full of twists and turns and controversy. Many of his choices may seem controversial today, but his contribution to the modernization of Chinese culture and education cannot be ignored. For a historical figure like Hu Shi, at any historical juncture, personal choices are deeply rooted in the social background and personal experience of the time, and how history is ultimately evaluated may take longer and more understanding.