民族学是近代从西方引进的一门理论与实践并重的社会科学,它对于我国民族体系的建立和民族地区的建设发挥着重大的作用。但时至今日,国内许多学者对于民族学与人类学的关系不甚明了,对民族学的认识论和学科使命仍不清楚,以至于发生了很多不必要的争论。本文简要回溯民族学发端的早期思想,并对我国民族学的学科使命提出自己的看法。林耀华先生在《民族学通论》一书开篇便对民族学做出如下界定:“民族学是一门研究民族共同体的学问。”宋蜀华先生也曾指出,“民族学是以民族及 Ethnology is a social science introduced both from the West and modern society in theory and practice. It plays an important role in establishing the national system and building the ethnic areas in our country. However, many scholars in our country do not understand the relationship between ethnology and anthropology, and the epistemology and subject mission of ethnology are still not clear enough, so many unnecessary debates have taken place. This essay traces back to the early thinking of the beginning of ethnology and puts forward my own views on the subject mission of ethnology in our country. Mr. Lin Yaohua defined ethnology as follows at the opening of the General Survey of Ethnology: ”Ethnology is a study of the community of nations. “ Mr. Song Shuhua also pointed out that ”ethnology is based on ethnic and