Q0416
“Having become a pawn that has crossed the river, one can only…” — Hu Shi (Introducing My Own Thought et al.)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Introducing My Own Thought et al.. Theme: choice.
English
Having become a pawn that has crossed the river, one can only press desperately forward.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Introducing My Own Thought et al. 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.
Interpretation
Hu Shi uses a xiangqi image — a pawn that has crossed the river cannot move backward — to describe a commitment that has passed the point of reversibility. His claim is that once certain positions are taken, retreat is not available, so the only remaining option is to continue. He used it about China's modernisation and about his own intellectual commitments. The metaphor is doing real work: it turns a choice into a condition.
Why it matters
It names a situation worth recognising early: some decisions remove the option of return, and the relevant question is whether you meant to cross.
Concepts in this quote
- Choice
- Choice is the hinge of agency: selecting among options under reasons, constraints, and uncertainty.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Hu Shi. (n.d.). Having become a pawn that has crossed the river, one can only press desperately forward. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0416
MLA: Hu Shi. “Having become a pawn that has crossed the….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0416.
Chicago: Hu Shi. “Having become a pawn that has crossed the….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0416.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Having become a pawn that has crossed the…”?
The passage is attributed to Hu Shi, Introducing My Own Thought et al.. The archive attributes this English wording to Introducing My Own Thought et al. 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 choice?
Free will, decision theory, and existential choice all ask how choosing is possible and what makes a choice one’s own. This passage enters that discussion through choice.