自嚴復受到（淸日戰爭）戰敗的刺激, 將赫胥黎的《進化與倫理》飜譯成《天演論》, 進化論在中國得到了全面介紹。在《進化與倫理》中, 嚴格區分了宇宙過程與倫理過程。在飜譯赫胥黎的著作時, 嚴復更多的時候是站在斯賓塞的社會進化論立場上對其進行重新解釋。斯賓塞的社會進化論將達爾文的有關自然現象的理論照搬到人類社會里。它的核心槪念是适者生存。嚴復相信, 社會進化論可以刺激知識分子的危机意識。實際上, 《天演論》被當時很多知識分子所接受, 幷且給他們提供了客觀上理解世界的契机。19世紀末20世紀初的改革理論與革命理論大多以社會進化論爲自己的根据。 嚴復以后, 人們從兩方面理解進化論, 那就是文明階段與文化階段。嚴復與梁啓超屬于前一階段, 而后者則包括章炳麟和魯迅。梁啓超與嚴復强調了强化國家的重要性。他們認爲, 爲了對付西方, 近代國家的建設極爲重要。這里司法意義上的個人國民成爲必要的存在, 那就是克復部民狀態的新民。當變法運動失敗以后, 梁啓超認爲以國民自覺爲基礎, 應該對王朝進行改革, 那么就有必要形成進化的主體。當時民智只不過是個還未得到啓蒙的國家體系的單純細胞而已。在現實當中, 進化的主體是國家。結果, 進化論與國家有机體說粘貼在一起。在嚴復和梁啓超的進化論里, 進化的主體從傳統的“天下”轉變爲“社會”, 后來成 爲“國家”。 對于章炳麟與魯迅而言, 進化的主體是民族與人民。就像一個民族不應該被別的民族統治那樣, 他們認爲, 個人也不應該受到國家或其他人的統治。他們雖然使用進化論的語言, 其實是對社會進化論進行根本的批評。如果整體上綜合中國進化論的開展過程, 就會發現進化主體的變化過程如下：天下→國家→民族→人民。

Darwinism was introduced on full scale in China by Yen Fu(严复). Stimulated by the loss of the Sino-Japanese War(1894~95), he translated Huxley’s Evolution and Ethics into TianYanLun(天演论). Huxley’s Evolution and Ethics recognizes Cosmic process and ethical process in strictly different sense. Yen Fu re-interpreted quite a lot of Huxley’s works in the standpoint of Spencer’s social-Darwinism. Spencer’s social-Darwinism applies Darwin’s theory on natural phenomena to the human society. The main idea here is the survival of the fittest. Yen Fu believed that social-Darwinism could stir a sense of crisis between the intellectuals of the time. In reality, TianYanLun(天演论) was accepted by most intellectuals in China, and allowed the opportunity to understand the world objectively. Most of the theories of reformation and revolution that came about at the turn of the century bases themselves on social-Darwinism. After Yen Fu’s introduction, Darwinism was developed in two stages. The first stage was of ‘the introduction of Darwinism and interpretation based on nationalism’. The most important philosophers of this stage were Yen Fu and Liang Qi-chao(梁启超). The second stage was of ‘the development and expention of Darwinism’. Zhang Bing-lin(章炳麟) and Lu Xun(鲁迅) can be considered to represent the philosophers of the stage. Yen Fu and Liang Qi-chao emphasized the importance of strengthening a state. This was because he believed that the construction of a modern state as a center of correspondence against the West was necessary. Thus, the existence of a citizen in the judicial sense was required. That was the ‘XinMin(新民)’ overcame by the state of ‘BuMin(部民)’. After the failure of the ‘BianFa(变法) movement’ Liang Qi-chao thought that the reformation should be based on the awakening of the citizens. He also thought that in order to do so, the main body of evolution had to be created. Yet, the citizens in the situation where ‘MinZhi’ was still not developed was considered to be only simple cells in the system of state. In the realistic view, the state was understood to be the main body of evolution. Here, Darwinism and the theory of the organic state adheres. In Darwinism of Yen Fu and Liang Qi-chao, the main body of evolution transformed from TianXia’ to ‘society’, and furthermore to ‘state’. To Zhang Bing-lin and Lu Xun, the main body of evolution are the nation and the people. As one nation can not be ruled by another, it was understood that an individual should not be ruled by neither the state nor another individual. Although such an understanding is expressed in the language of Darwinism, in reality it can be considered as a fundamental criticism on social-Darwinism. In wrapping up the development of Darwinism in China, the subject of evolution can be said to progress eventually from ‘TianXia’→ state → nation → people. [Article in Chinese]