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Nothing but Culture: The Pen War Between Hu Shi and the Conservative Xueheng School

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The Birth of Twentieth-Century Chinese Literature

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Abstract

This chapter deals with the long-standing and influential debate between the Radical School, led by Hu Shi, and the Conservative Xueheng School, led by Mei Guangdi and Wu Mi. The debate centered on the relationship between language and literature, the theory and place of baihua literature, and the modern culture of China. The chapter offers a new and favorable evaluation of the significance and place of the Xueheng School without disparaging the theoretical and practical achievements and contributions of Hu Shi and his colleagues in the development of modern Chinese literature and culture.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China

    Yu Gao

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  1. Yu Gao
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Gao, Y. (2018). Nothing but Culture: The Pen War Between Hu Shi and the Conservative Xueheng School. In: The Birth of Twentieth-Century Chinese Literature. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55936-4_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55936-4_6

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-56529-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-55936-4

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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