严袁关系试解:严复政治思想的一个侧面

Research on the Relationship betwean Yan Fu and Yuan Shikai: One Aspect of Yan Fu's Political Thought

考察严复与袁世凯的关系始末,是研究严复政治思想极好的个案。二人交谊深厚,严氏之于袁氏由保持距离到靠拢支持,到最终失望。辛亥革命后,严复支持袁世凯是其政治思想的自然演进与具体体现,而非其思想的“倒退”。严复对强人政治的支持,实在是一种理想政治无法实现时退而求其次的、无可奈何的选择。

An inspection into the development of the personal relationship between Yan Fu and Yan Shikai offers an inspiring perspective in the study of Yan's political thought.Yuan was Yan's long-stading friend. At the beginning, Yan kept himself aloof from Yuan. In later periods he gradually approached Yuan and rendered political surport, but eventually Yuan left him in disappointment. After the 1911 evolution,Yan stood on the side of Yuan.This was not because he had experienced a major retrogression in political thought. His change in action was nothing but the natural result of his political pursuit.