晚清十年間（1900-1911)革命黨與保皇黨針對「中國國情能不能進行革命」發生了一場論戰。保皇黨提出「革命瓜分論」，主張革命必定引發列強瓜分，因此中國不適合革命。這除了暴露出當時社會恐懼瓜分的心理，也打擊了革命黨的士氣。革命黨則以「民氣可用」進行反擊，認為唯有革命才能激發民氣，唯有激發民氣才能阻止列強瓜分。「民氣可用」是晚清民氣論述的脈絡下的產物。民氣論述相信，人的精神意志，尤其是情感與情緒具有救國的力量，若能激發人民不甘被統治的憤怒情緒、愛國心與敢死氣概，這股力量便能抵禦外侮、保種救國。瞭解晚清的民氣論述，以及「民氣」在「革命瓜分論戰」中的作用，除了能夠認識到晚清的社會氛圍對於「人的精神意志力量」給予極高評價與信仰，也可以藉此觀察晚清的思潮與時局如何在社會氛圍與群眾情緒的影響中推進發展。

During the last decade of Qing dynasty, the royalists and the revolutionists debated the question ＂Can China afford a revolution?＂ By advocating ＂revolution leads to foreign partition,＂ the royalists suggested that revolution could lead to an invasion by the Great Powers, thus revolution was not feasible. This not only exposed the psychology of fears of a split in society, but also attacked the morale of the revolutionists. Yet, the revolutionists argued that ＂people's morale is exploitable'，and that only revolution could raise people's morale to resist an invasion by the Great Powers. The slogan ＂people's morale is exploitable＂ was in fact the outcome of debates on people's morale in the late Qing period The debates suggested that the human spirit could bring great force for the salvation of the country. If peopled anger, patriotism, and spirit of martyrdom were inspired against foreign rule, this force could then resist invasion and save the country. Understanding the debates on people's morale and its effect in the slogan of ＂revolution leads to foreign partition＂ could explain how ＂the power of the human spirit and will＂ was appreciated in the late Qing social context. It also helps explain how the political situation and attitudes were influenced by the social atmosphere and the mentality of the masses in the late Qing Dynasty.