Q0177
“Boldly hypothesize; carefully verify.” — Hu Shi (The Methods of Qing Scholars; lectures…)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Methods of Qing Scholars; lectures on method. Theme: method.
English
Boldly hypothesize; carefully verify.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Methods of Qing Scholars; lectures on method and files it under Pragmatism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Hu Shi
Hu Shi (1891–1962) was a Chinese liberal pragmatist, vernacular literature reformer, and student of John Dewey at Columbia. A leader of the May Fourth New Culture Movement, he championed experimentalism, critical thought, and writing in baihua.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably William of Ockham and Kwasi Wiredu), method is framed through Africana Philosophy and Scholasticism. Some passages define method; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through method, god.
Concepts in this quote
- Method
- Method appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat method as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- God
- God appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat god as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Hu Shi. (n.d.). Boldly hypothesize; carefully verify. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0177
MLA: Hu Shi. “Boldly hypothesize; carefully verify..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0177.
Chicago: Hu Shi. “Boldly hypothesize; carefully verify..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0177.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Boldly hypothesize; carefully verify.”?
The passage is attributed to Hu Shi, The Methods of Qing Scholars; lectures on method. The archive attributes this English wording to The Methods of Qing Scholars; lectures on method and files it under Pragmatism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Hu Shi mean by method?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably William of Ockham and Kwasi Wiredu), method is framed through Africana Philosophy and Scholasticism. Some passages define method; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through method, god.