本文是以章太炎為個案探討清末中國民族思想的源起及其影響。本文要論證的有 三點，首先是希望澄清歷來對章太炎的誤解，他不但是一個民族主義者，亦是一個自由主義 者，歐洲十九世紀的自由民族主義是透過章太炎傳到中國。其次是重新為反滿思想在辛亥革 命的角色定位，反滿思想是辛亥革命的意識形態基礎，但它雖披著傳統種族主義的外衣，但 已遠遠擺脫血緣及華夷之辨的傳統觀點，反滿思想著重的是民族群體中個體所扮演的角色， 其所包涵的自由精神是能擊敗康梁的最重要原因。第三是指出自由主義在中國土著化的過程 ，章太炎利用其深邃的樸學訓練，為自由主義在中國文化中成功地開拓一個空閒，同時章氏 亦為近代中國開展一個自由民族主義的典範，其影響是超逾一般人的想像。

　　　　　By using Chang Tai-yan as a case, this study focuses on the origins of the modern Chinese nationalism and its influences in the late Ch'ing period. Three arguments are presented in this article. First of all, often single-mindedly labeled as a primary ideologue for the anti-Manchu movement, Chang Tai-yan is no less a liberal in the 1911 Revolution. In fact, he is one of the pionners in introducing to China the nineteenth-century liberalism and successfully in integrating it with nationalism for the Revolution. Secondly, this study tries to distinguish the modern Chinese nationalism from the traditional racist theory. Despite the conservative outlook of his nationalism derived from the instrumentalization of anti-Manchuism, Chang does not accept the genetic argument and the Chinese-barbarian dichotomy in the traditional theory. Instead, Chang lays the foundation of his nationalist theory on modern liberal paradigm which has more concern on the origins of individuality and its relationship with human society. Thirdly, this study also pays attention to the indegenization process of liberalism in modern China. Solidly trained as an Old Text scholar in his youth, Chang provides an autonomous space for the development of modern liberalism in China by stressing the a-societal attitude and text reading practice in the Han learning tradition. Meanwhile, Chang's liberal approach also opens up a new direction for Confucianism for the twentieth-century China.