维新运动兴起之际,中国思想界洋务派的“中体西用论”仍占主导地位,即使是康有为的维新变法理论也未真正突破这一框架的束缚。严复则在对中西方文化比较的基础上,深刻地指出了中国传统君主专制制度和思想文化的弊端,强调自由与民主对社会发展、国家富强的重要作用,从而真正在理论上给“中体西用论”以致命一击。然而,严复在变革的实践上又未能突破“中体西用论”的框架。他思想中激进与保守、现实与空想的双重因素,矛盾地交织在一起,这实际上是由清末社会的复杂性所决定的。 At the time of the revival of the reform movement, the Western school of Western thought still holds a dominant position. Even Kang Youwei’s theory of reform in reform did not really break the shackles of this framework. On the basis of comparison of Chinese and Western culture, Yan Fu pointed out profoundly the defects of the traditional Chinese monarchy and ideology and culture, emphasized the important role of freedom and democracy in social development and the prosperity of the country, and truly gave “ Body West theory ”to a fatal blow. However, Yan Fu failed to break through the framework of reform in the practice of reform. The dual factors of radicalism and conservatism, reality and fantasy in his thinking are intertwined and contradictory. This is actually determined by the complexity of the society in the late Qing Dynasty.