This book focuses on Liang Qichao’s “On Citizenship” as the basis of its historical inquiry, and analyzes the content and transformation of Liang’s thought in the early twentieth century, especially in terms of its significance for the history of modern intellectual thought. The author (Huang Kewu) identifies in Liang’s “On Citizenship” the following three prominent, but often misunderstood features: first, his profound understanding of the dark side of human nature; second, his fundamental respect for individual freedoms—with regard to human rights, Liang’s thought is similar to the Western liberal democratic tradition as represented by John Stuart Mill, rather than the democratic tradition of Rousseau, Hegel and Marx. Third, despite accepting some Western philosophical influences, Liang nevertheless remained quite close to the Chinese tradition. The author believes that in the early twentieth century, the Chinese intellectual world found itself in a critical moment for philosophical discernment, but then more and more intellectuals abandoned Liang Qichao’s accommodative selection, following instead a turn towards revolution. This shift in thought, along with other factors, resulted in a century of revolution and chaos.