J. Dewey’s scientific method influence on Chinese historians’ research method in the early 20th century (Hu Shi and Gu Jiegang as an example)

Abstract

The article attempts to clarify the circumstances under which the “scientific method” invented by the American philosopher John Dewey was indirectly borrowed by the Chinese historian Gu Jiegang. Realizing what stands behind the “method” as presented by the Chinese scholar Hu Shi, who was a student of John Dewey, Gu Jiegang considered it suitable to be applied in the historical researches and incorporated into the foundation of his own hypothesis and approach. Michel Espagne’s theory of cultural transfer serves as the theoretical and methodological framework of the study. An analysis of the original method and the circumstances of its creation suggests Dewey’s own assumption of its universal applicability, not limited to scientific research. With Hu Shi’s direct references to the “scientific method,” his own presentation in Chinese is not identical to the original – a similar observation applies to Gu Jiegang’s interpretation, who refers exclusively to the Chinese scholar’s. In conclusion, the article argues that the “scientific method” had an indirect influence on historical research in Republican China. Moreover, use of references to the concepts of Western and more famous colleagues was rather intended to provide scientists with reputable support for their own approaches.