Hu Shi Quotes
Hu Shi was a Chinese philosopher, essayist, and diplomat, and a leader of the May Fourth and New Culture movements. After completing his doctorate under John Dewey at Columbia, he returned to China to advocate for the use of vernacular Chinese in literature and scholarship and to apply pragmatist methods of inquiry to Chinese intellectual traditions. The quotes below are attributed to Hu Shi, organized by topic.
Hu Shi on Freedom
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Attributed to Hu Shi:
“Tolerance is more important than freedom.”
Hu Shi on Knowledge
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Attributed to Hu Shi:
“Boldly hypothesize, carefully verify.”
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Attributed to Hu Shi:
“Education is the foundation of any genuine democracy.”
Hu Shi on Politics
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Attributed to Hu Shi:
“Tradition is what we make of it; it does not determine us.”
Hu Shi on Truth
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Attributed to Hu Shi:
“We must not reject the old simply because it is old, nor accept the new simply because it is new.”