Primary Source Document
with Questions (DBQs)
“ O U R A T T I T U D E T O W A R D M O D E R N W E S T E R N C I V I L I Z A T I O N ”
B y H u S h i
Introduction
Beginning around 1917, Chinese intellectuals began to engage each other in serious discussion and debate on
culture, history, philosophy, and related subjects — all with an eye to the bigger problem of China’s weakness and
the possible solutions to that problem. This period of intellectual debate, labeled the May Fourth Movement, lasted
to around 1921.
Hu Shi (1891-1962) was one of the leading May Fourth intellectuals. A student of agriculture at Cornell University,
and then of philosophy under John Dewey at Columbia University, Hu led the way in the movement to write Chinese
in the vernacular, as opposed to the elegant, but (to the average Chinese) incomprehensible classical style. Hu also
played a leading role in the cultural debates of the time.
The document below is one of Hu’s contributions to the debate on Western civilization.
Document Excerpts with Questions (Longer selection follows this section)
From Sources of Chinese Tradition: From 1600 Through the Twentieth Century, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Richard
Lufrano, 2nd ed., vol. 2 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2000), 386-387. © 2000 Columbia University Press. Reproduced
with the permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.




“Our
Attitude
toward
Modern
Western
Civilization”

By
Hu
Shi



At
 present
 the
 most
 unfounded
 and
 more
 harmful
 distortion
 is
 to
 ridicule
 Western

civilization
 as
 materialistic
 and
 worship
 Eastern
 civilization
 as
 spiritual.
 …
 The
 modern

civilization
of
the
West,
built
on
the
foundation
of
the
search
for
human
happiness,
not
only
has

definitely
 increased
 material
 enjoyment
 to
 no
 small
 degree,
 but
 can
 also
 satisfy
 the
 spiritual

needs
of
mankind.
…
In
religion
and
ethics,
it
has
overthrown
the
religion
of
superstitions
and

established
rational
belief,
has
destroyed
divine
power
and
established
a
humanistic
religion,

has
 discarded
 the
 unknowable
 Heaven
 or
 paradise
 and
 directed
 its
 efforts
 to
 building
 a

paradise
among
men
and
Heaven
on
earth.
…

…

The
 civilization
 under
 which
 people
 are
 restricted
 and
 controlled
 by
 a
 material

environment
 from
 which
 they
 cannot
 escape,
 and
 under
 which
 they
 cannot
 utilize
 human

thought
 and
 intellectual
 power
 to
 change
 environment
 and
 improve
 conditions,
 is
 the

Primary Source Document, with Questions (DBQ) on
“OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD MODERN WESTERN CIVILIZATION,” BY HU SHI
Asia for Educators | Columbia University | http://afe.easia.columbia.edu Page 2 of 3
civilization
of
a
lazy
and
nonprogressive
people.
It
is
a
truly
materialistic
civilization.
Such
a

civilization
can
only
obstruct
but
cannot
satisfy
the
spiritual
demands
of
mankind.





Questions:
1. How does Hu Shi overturn the usual stereotypes in discussing East and
West?
2. If you were a Chinese person arguing against Hu around 1918, what points
might you make to refute his characterization of the West?
3. What can you conclude about Hu’s values from these comments?
4. As you read Hu’s comments, what do you think he may possibly believe are
among the causes of China’s weakness in the world?
Longer Selection
From Sources of Chinese Tradition: From 1600 Through the Twentieth Century, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Richard
Lufrano, 2nd ed., vol. 2 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2000), 386-387. © 2000 Columbia University Press. Reproduced
with the permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.




“Our
Attitude
toward
Modern
Western
Civilization”

By
Hu
Shi



At
 present
 the
 most
 unfounded
 and
 more
 harmful
 distortion
 is
 to
 ridicule
 Western

civilization
 as
 materialistic
 and
 worship
 Eastern
 civilization
 as
 spiritual.
 …
 The
 modern

civilization
of
the
West,
built
on
the
foundation
of
the
search
for
human
happiness,
not
only
has

definitely
 increased
 material
 enjoyment
 to
 no
 small
 degree,
 but
 can
 also
 satisfy
 the
 spiritual

needs
of
mankind.
In
philosophy
it
has
applied
highly
refined
methods
to
the
search
for
truth

and
to
investigation
into
the
vast
secrets
of
nature.
In
religion
and
ethics,
it
has
overthrown
the

religion
 of
 superstitions
 and
 established
 a
 rational
 belief,
 has
 destroyed
 divine
 power
 and

established
 a
 humanistic
 religion,
 has
 discarded
 the
 unknowable
 Heaven
 or
 paradise
 and

directed
its
efforts
to
building
a
paradise
among
men
and
Heaven
on
earth.
It
has
cast
aside
the

arbitrarily
asserted
transcendence
of
the
individual
soul,
has
utilized
to
the
highest
degree
the

power
of
man’s
new
imagination
and
new
intellect
to
promote
a
new
religion
and
new
ethics

that
are
fully
socialized,
and
has
endeavored
to
work
for
the
greatest
amount
of
happiness
for

the
greatest
number
of
people.

The
 most
 outstanding
 characteristic
 of
 Eastern
 civilization
 is
 to
 know
 contentment,

whereas
that
of
Western
civilization
is
not
to
know
contentment.

Contented
 Easterners
 are
 satisfied
 with
 their
 simple
 life
 and
 therefore
 do
 not
 seek
 to

increase
 their
 material
 enjoyment.
 They
 are
 satisfied
 with
 ignorance
 and
“not
 understanding

Primary Source Document, with Questions (DBQ) on
“OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD MODERN WESTERN CIVILIZATION,” BY HU SHI
Asia for Educators | Columbia University | http://afe.easia.columbia.edu Page 3 of 3
and
not
knowing”1
 and
therefore
have
devoted
no
attention
to
the
discovery
of
truth
and
the

invention
 of
 techniques
 and
 machinery.
 They
 are
 satisfied
 with
 their
 present
 lot
 and

environment
 and
 therefore
 do
 not
 want
 to
 conquer
 nature
 but
 merely
 [to]
 be
 at
 home
 with

nature
and
at
peace
with
their
lot.
They
do
not
want
to
change
systems,
but
rather
to
mind
their

own
business.
They
do
not
want
a
revolution,
but
rather
to
remain
obedient
subjects.

The
 civilization
 under
 which
 people
 are
 restricted
 and
 controlled
 by
 a
 material

environment
 from
 which
 they
 cannot
 escape,
 and
 under
 which
 they
 cannot
 utilize
 human

thought
 and
 intellectual
 power
 to
 change
 environment
 and
 improve
 conditions,
 is
 the

civilization
 of
 a
 lazy
 and
 nonprogressive
 people.
 It
 is
 truly
 a
 materialistic
 civilization.
 Such

civilization
can
only
obstruct
but
cannot
satisfy
the
spiritual
demands
of
mankind.

























































1
Book
of
Odes,
Da
ya,
Wen
wang
7.