“人”是一个在历史中形成、发展和完善的观念。古代“人学”研究的一个重要前提是“人”观念的萌生与形成。“人”这一观念是经历长期实践之后逐步形成的。就中国远古时代的情况看.真正的“人”的观念的形成,应当是在黄帝时期。在中国文明时代初期,“人”的观念隐于“族”中。可以说,初期的“人”所蕴涵的观念指的是族.而非单个的“人”。夏、商时代,作为社会结构基本单位的“氏族”组织不断发展,隐于“族”观念中的“人”的观念亦发生着变化。西周时期,“人”的观念从综合判断向分析判断转化,它反映了社会上人们等级地位的不平等因素逐渐增加的情况。春秋战国时期,思想家们对于人的特质有了深入的认识,提出了人为“万物之灵”的观念。这应当是上古时代“人”学思想曙光之初照。当前,理论界和学术界关于“人学”的研究正方兴未艾,深入认识“人”观念起源及其初步发展,对于“人学”的历史及理论的探讨应当具有一定意义。 “Man ” is a concept formed, developed and perfected in history. An Important Prerequisite for the Study of “Humanities” in Ancient Times is the Initiation and Formation of the Concept of “Man”. The concept of “people” is gradually formed after long-term practice. As far as the ancient times in China is concerned, the formation of a truly “human” concept should be in the Yellow Emperor period. In the early days of Chinese civilization, the notion of “people” was hidden in the “clan”. It can be said that the initial concept of “people” implies ethnicity, not individual “people”. In the Xia and Shang dynasties, the “clan” organization, as the basic unit of social structure, has undergone constant development and the concept of “people” implicit in the concept of “clan” has also undergone changes. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, the concept of “person ” was transformed from comprehensive judgment to analytical judgment. It reflected the gradual increase of the unequal status of people in the society. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, thinkers had in-depth knowledge of human traits and put forward the concept of man as the “spirit of all things.” This should be the beginning of the dawn of the thought of “humanity” in ancient times. At present, the research on “Humanities ” in theory and academia is in the ascendant and the origin and initial development of “” “people ’s ideas are in-depth, and the exploration of the history and theory of ” Humanities "should have certain significance .