公民教育在中国正引起人们的关注,但是,在公民教育中应当倡导什么样的思想和观点、学生从公民教育中应当获得什么样的概念和技能体系,迄今认识比较笼统模糊。为建立公民教育所需的理论基础,研究、了解西方发达国家的有关思想和理论,是必须完成的任务。英国学者T.H.马歇尔是公民理论的自由主义传统的著名代表人物之一,在他的代表作《公民身份与社会阶级》中,提出和论证了公民身份的三个组成部分:公民的要素、政治的要素、社会的要素;阐释了三者各自的发展过程;讨论了三者之间的复杂关系。马歇尔的理论不仅在西方一直产生着重要影响,对于我们今天思考和建设公民教育同样具有深刻的理论意义。 Civic education is attracting people’s attention in China. However, what kind of ideas and opinions should be advocated in civic education? What kind of concepts and skills should students acquire from civic education? In order to establish the theoretical basis for civic education and to study and understand the relevant thoughts and theories of the developed countries in the west, it is a task that must be accomplished. British scholar TH Marshall is one of the famous representatives of the liberal tradition of civic theory. In his masterpiece “Citizenship and Social Classes,” three elements of citizenship were proposed and demonstrated: the elements of citizenship, the elements of politics , Social elements; explain the development process of each of the three; and discuss the complex relationship among the three. Marshall’s theory has not only had an important influence in the West all along, but also has profound theoretical significance for thinking and building civic education today.