生物进化论在近代中国的“社会进化论”转身

On the Development of Social Evolutionism in Modern China

以自然选择为进化法则的达尔文生物进化论,对西方自然科学和社会科学产生了不同程度的影响,甚至在很长一段时期被美国人抵制。也许是历史的耦合或者时代的契合,达尔文生物进化论更多是以"社会进化论"的形式进入近代中国,并成为近代中国人从整体上观察、改造中国社会之理性思考的切入点,深刻地影响了近代中国的政治发展。某种程度上,它迎合了中国百姓改造社会的需求以及民族伦理道德的兴趣,作为一种科学伦理道德知识的阐释基点在近代中国社会中不断扩散。

Darwin＇s biological evolutionism, which is based on the principle of natural selection, has exerted varied influence on Western natural and social sciences. But it has also been rectified, criticized, and even refused by Americans for quite a long time. For historical reasons, Darwinist theory was introduced to modern China mainly in terms of social evolutionism as a new perspective to transform the observation and rational thinking of the modern Chinese, having a fundamental influence on modern China＇s political devel- opment. Circulated as the essence of scientific morality, it was closely related to the Chinese people＇s need of transforming both their ethic and the society.