严复以实证主义的理路批判了儒家思想中的某些成分,但他的“依古论说”仍深受儒家思维方式的影响。通过对中西政教分合关系的分析、对知识与信仰的区分,严复为宗教的永远存在保留了位置,此即“与人道相始终”而不可废的宗教即为“真宗教”。在此基础上,他进一步确立了儒家或孔教作为“真宗教”的人道教身份。这与他在民国肇建后考虑国性问题时明确地回归儒家传统一致,体现了严复前后思想的一贯性。 Yan Fu criticized some elements of Confucianism with the positivist approach, but his theory of “according to ancient times” is still deeply influenced by Confucianism. Through the analysis of the relationship between politics and religion in China and the West and the distinction between knowledge and belief, Yan Fu has retained its position for the eternal existence of religion. That is, the religion “always in the same humanity” and can not be abolished is “true religion” . On this basis, he further established Confucianism or Confucianism as the “true religion” of the humanitarian identity. This is in clear agreement with the Confucian tradition when he considered the issue of statehood after the founding of the Republic of China, and reflected the consistency of his thought before and after Yan Fu.