If you think carefully about something you see many levels below the surface phenomenon. "Based on this passage, Hu Shi extolled the way Zhu put into practice the spirit of getting past appearances to the fundamental underlying causes. Hu declared that Zhu had discovered fossils a full three centuries prior to their identification in Europe, and concluded:" One cannot but admire his powers of observation. "
胡適據此特別讚揚朱子對「格物致知」精神的實踐，說朱熹發現化石比歐洲早三百年，「他這種觀察，斷案雖不正確，已很可使人佩服」。