Although from 1920, the ideological requirements have become more and more tough, and the contents of intellectuals' speeches have become more and more politicized, we can't just regard the new cultural phenomenon as an episode at the beginning or end. It creates a suitable environment for innovative thinking and popularizing fresh political and social concepts.
It largely restored the self-confidence and self-esteem of China intellectuals lost in disillusionment in the early years of the Republic of China. So on the one hand, it is to prepare for continuing to pursue the purpose and direction in a planned way; On the other hand, it has established extremely important values for the new cultural thought-the value of free exploration and self-expression, the value of practical judgment and reasonable expectation.
The establishment of these values had a far-reaching impact on the judgment standard of China intellectuals, who continued to strictly evaluate the legitimacy of politics later, until the great turning point of 1949, or even later.
"This new world is so different from our civilization. How can we be indifferent in it? " 19 17 years, Hu Shi will return to China to assume a big post. He has been preparing for this for many years in America. He wrote, "How can we absorb modern civilization and make it integrate with the civilization created by ourselves and develop harmoniously?" ?
Many China intellectuals, including Hu Shi's critics and enemies, would agree with this attitude. Even people with strong nostalgia know that it is impossible to return to the forms and systems of the past. Only a few followers of Kang Youwei supported the short and stupid restoration of the Qing court in July 19 17.
For most China intellectuals around the May 4th Movement, such as Hu Shi, the problem is how to maintain or create a continuity between the past and the present, so as to make the existence of China meaningful.