Letter to Li Da
(December 28, 1954)

Source: HO, 329 (Jan. 1, 1979), 10. Other Chinese Text: Shuxi ‘

See alsa texts Mar, 27, 195], and Sept. 17, 1952.

Dear Haoming:'

I have received and read your letter of December 20 and the ty
articles,’ and I think they are very good; especially the articles
ideology, which is of even greater help to the readers. There seems
wrong words; for instance, [when you said) “the pragmatists maint
matter that comes first and consciousness that comes second.”
one criticizes pragmatism, a comparison and explanation is 1
terms) “utility” and “effects” as used by the pragmatists and bro
terms used by us. This is because people in general are still o
unclear about them. *“The cosmos is ‘an unfinished manuscript. .
few sentences also need to be explicitly criticized. Your writings are ina
ular language and easy to understand. This is good. When you write;
suggest that you make use of appropriate occasions to explain ¢¢
concepts in philosophy so that cadres in general can read and uf
them. We must use this opportunity to help the millions of cadres, b
and outside the Party, who have no knowledge of philosophy to t
some Marxist philosophy. What do you think? My respects.

Mao Zedong
December 28, 1954

Notes

h


--- Notes

|. See text Mar. 27, 195}. note 1. *


2 This refers fo two anticles writen by Li Da to criticize Hu Shi. titked, respectively.
de rhengzhi sixiang pipan™ (Criticism of Hu Shi's Political Thought) and “Hu Shi.si if
(Criticisny of Hu Shi's Thought). The first was published in RRA (Dec. 31, 1954) and the
tn Xi jianshe (New Constniction), 1955. 1, Both ean be found in Mu Shi siriany pipan (EANS
of Hu Shi’s Thought), Sanhian shudian, 1955


3, See Hu Shih’s Shivan zhuyi (Experimentalism). namritha a
compiling the book Hu Shi fandong alcung pipan (Critique of Hu Shi’s Reactionary 1d
1955, made a comparison and explanation of the terms “utility” and "effect" es used OI
moatists and broadly similar corms used in dialectical materialiam He also made an capi
cis of the line “the cosmos is ‘ar urtinished munuserpt. .°”