“知识分子”特指那些不仅有专业知识而且更有独立精神、强烈社会关怀和批判精神的文化人或知识人,是社会的一个独特阶层。自鸦片战争以来,伴随中国社会的转型,中国现代知识分子油然而生,在观念、制度与社会结构的变迁中,扮演了各种各样的角色。选取现代中国有代表性的知识分子,对他们的言与行进行考察,有助于我们深入透视他们所处的时代与社会,加深我们对现代知识分子作用、使命、命运的理解。 “Intellectuals ” refers specifically to those who are not only professional knowledge but also more independent, strong social concern and critical spirit of the cultural or intellectuals, is a unique social class. Since the Opium War, with the transformation of Chinese society, modern Chinese intellectuals came into being and have played various roles in the changes of concept, system and social structure. Selecting representative Chinese modern intellectuals to conduct an investigation of their words and actions helps us to thoroughly understand the times and the society in which they live, and deepen our understanding of the role, mission and destiny of modern intellectuals.