将中国文学按表现工具分成民间兴起的生动的活文学与正统的僵化的死文 学，这一文学史理论假设，是胡适文学史研究的主要贡献。胡适提出新文学的来源皆在民间， 打击了贵族文学与传统思想。胡适在文学史研究中的“破坏性重述”，思路新奇，见解独到，框 架体例别致；但也存在着许多空疏与偏颇。 The Chinese literature is divided into vivid living literature and orthodox rigid literature of death emerging from the tools of performance. This theoretical hypothesis of literary history is the major contribution to the study of Hu Shih’s literary history. Hu Shi put forward the source of new literature all in the folk and cracked down on aristocratic literature and traditional thoughts. Hu Shih’s “Destructive Restatement” in the study of literary history has novel ideas, unique opinions and unique framework. However, there are also many empty and biased ones.