Criticism On Hu Shih’s Vernacular Literature Theory

With the Vernacular Literature theory's tremendous impacts and effects on Chinese New Literature Movement and the whole Chinese New Culture Movement,however, Hu shih didn't realize theoretically how deeply the Vernacular and literature revolution correlated with the whole Culture Revolution. He failed to distinguish the vernacular he advocated from the traditional vernacular. Language and thoughts should be one thing, therefore revolution of language is revolution of thoughts. The Vernacular later as “National language” advocated by Hu Shih during the May 4th Period is a new language system as well as a new discourse form, bending the oral, the Europeanized and some Ancient Chinese words. Hu Shih's argument on the Classical literary Language and the Vernacular Language couldn't explain thoroughly the May 4th New Literature Movement and the New Culture Movement.