胡适 (Húshì): Hu Shi (1891–1962), Chinese philosopher, essayist, and diplomat, leading advocate of written vernacular Chinese (白话文) during the May Fourth Movement

Meanings

1 Hu Shi (1891–1962), Chinese philosopher, essayist, and diplomat, leading advocate of written vernacular Chinese (白话文) during the May Fourth Movement

Characters

胡

Examples

胡适是新文化运动的主将之一。

Húshì shì Xīn Wénhuà Yùndòng de zhǔjiàng zhī yī.

Hu Shi was one of the leading figures of the New Culture Movement.

胡适主张用白话文写作。

Húshì zhǔzhāng yòng báihuàwén xiězuò.

Hu Shi advocated writing in the vernacular.

Tips

history

A Columbia PhD student of John Dewey, Hu's 1917 essay 《文学改良刍议》 in 新青年 called for replacing classical Chinese with 白话文 in literature — arguably the single most influential Chinese essay of the 20th century. He later served as ROC ambassador to the US 1938–1942.

culture

Hu's liberal, pragmatist stance made him a target under Mao (the 1954–55 '胡适思想批判' campaign produced millions of words of state-sponsored criticism) but a hero in Taiwan, where he headed Academia Sinica until his death. Post-1980s mainland rehabilitation has made his name safe again in Chinese classrooms.