从戊戌到五四,是一个大变革、大动荡的时代,同时,也是一个产生思想巨人的时代。时运际会造就了康有为和严复,反过来,他们的先进思想也在推动着时代的车轮。中国的近代化转换在他们的思想影响下出现了新的契机,尽管他们本人并没有意识到这一点,五四以后,他们甚至十分痛悔当年的“孟浪”。这是他们的相同之处。但是,他们的相异之处似乎更值得研究,因为他们的思想体系和思维方式的差别,正好反映了晚清思想界的多元化特点。思想解放的局面只有在这样的文化背景下才有可能形成,嗣后的辛亥革命、五四新文化运动,无一不是这种多元选择、多向思维的结果。对康有为、严复变革思想之不同,笔者拟从下述四个方面进行比较: 一、理论基础之不同家庭、社会背景以及早年所受的教育,对一个人尔后的思想道路和方向有着极大的影响。康氏一门,在广东南海可称的上是“从戎仕宦、朱紫盈门”。在康氏族人中, From the Wu-Xi to the May Fourth Movement, it was an era of great revolution and turmoil. At the same time, it was also an era in which thought-giants were born. The fortunes of the time will create Kang Youwei and Yan Fu, and in turn, their advanced ideas are also driving the wheel of the times. Modern transformation in China showed a new opportunity under the influence of their thinking. Although they themselves did not realize this point, after May Fourth, they even greatly regretted the “Menglang” of that time. This is their similarity. However, their differences seem to be more worthy of study because the differences between their ideological systems and their modes of thinking precisely reflect the pluralistic nature of late Qing intellectual circles. The emancipation of the mind is only possible under such a cultural background. The subsequent revolution of 1911 and the May Fourth new cultural movement are both the results of such pluralistic choices and multidirectional thinking. Different from Kang Youwei and Yan Fu, the author intends to make a comparison from the following four aspects: First, based on different theories of family, social background and education in his early years, he has a great influences. Kang a, in the South China Sea can be described as “from Rong Shi Huan, Zhu purple surplus door ”. In Kang clan,