“法无新旧惟其时”——严复对中国社会稳健变革、理性发展的思考

严复主张"法无新旧惟其时",中国社会的变革不能操之过激,一切社会变革的举措即"法"必须符合国情的需要,当以"适时"为度,而这些举措是否"适时",要以它们能否有利于维护中华民族的统一和保障广大民众的"人道"即人权需求为根本的检验标准。中国社会要想变革成功,臻于民主、共和、自由、法治的现代文明政体,根本须取决于民智的文明提升。"教育强国根本",必须全方位普及现代文明教育。

"Method was not New or Old, But only Timely": YAN Fu' Thinking on the Social Moderate Reform and Rational Development in China

YAN Fu claimed that "method was not new or old,but only timely".Chinese social reform could not be stormy.All measures of social reform which were called "method" must meet the need of the situation of the country and should make "timely" with the degree while whether the measures were "timely",the ultimate test standard was that whether the measures was in favor of the unification of Chinese people and the safeguard of the mass of people's humanity that was the demand of human right.If China wanted to reform successfully and arrive at the modern civilized regime of democracy,republic,liberty and rule by law,it was depended fundamentally on the improvement of civilization of civil wisdom."Education was the foundation to strength the country",it must popularize the modern civilized education comprehensively.