陳獨秀 Chen Duxiu
青年雜誌 第一卷第一號
La Jeunesse - September 15, 1915
竊以少年老成，中國稱人之語也；年長而勿衰（Keep young while growing old），英美人相勖之辭也。此亦東西民族涉想不同、現象趨異之一端歟？青年如初春，如朝日，如百卉之萌動，如利刃之新發於硎，人生最可寶貴之時期也。青年之於社會，猶新鮮活潑細胞之在人身，新陳代謝，陳腐朽敗者無時不在天然淘汰之途，與新鮮活潑者以空間之位置及時間之生命。人身遵新陳代謝之道則健康，陳腐朽敗之細胞充塞人身則人身死；社會遵新陳代謝之道則隆盛，陳腐朽敗之分子充塞社會則社會亡。
準斯以談，吾國之社會，其隆盛耶？抑將亡耶？非予之所忍言者。彼陳腐朽敗之分子，一聽其天然之淘汰，惟不願以如流之歲月，與之說短道長，希冀其脫胎換骨也。予所欲涕泣陳詞者，惟屬望於新鮮活潑之青年，有以自覺而奮鬥耳！
自覺者何？自覺其新鮮活潑之價值與責任，而自視不可卑也。奮鬥者何？奮其智能，力排陳腐朽敗者以去，視之若仇敵，若洪水猛獸，而不可與為鄰，而不為其菌毒所傳染也。
嗚呼！吾國之青年，其果能語於此乎？吾見夫青年其年齡，而老年其身體者十之五焉，青年其年齡或身體，而老年其腦神經者十之九焉。華其發，澤其容，直其腰，廣其膈，非不儼然青年也，及叩其頭腦中所涉想、所懷抱，無一不與彼陳腐朽敗者為一丘之貉。其始也，未嘗不新鮮活潑，浸假而為陳腐朽敗分子所同化者有之，浸假而畏陳腐朽敗分子勢力之龐大，瞻顧依回，不敢明目張膽作頑狠之抗鬥者有之。充塞社會之空氣，無往而非陳腐朽敗，焉求些少之新鮮活潑者，以慰吾人窒息之絕望？亦杳不可得。
循斯現象，於人身則必死，於社會則必亡。欲救此病，非太息諮嗟之所能濟，是在一二敏於自覺、勇於奮鬥之青年，發揮人間固有之智能，決擇人間種種之思想——孰為新鮮活潑而適於今世之爭存，孰為陳腐朽敗而不容留置於腦裡，——利刃斷鐵，快刀理麻，決不作牽就依違之想，自度度人，社會庶幾其有清寧之日也。青年乎！其有以此自任者乎？若夫明其是非，以供決擇，謹陳六義，幸平心察之。
The Chinese compliment others by saying, 「He acts like an old man although still young.』』 Englishmen and Americans encourage one another by saying, 「Keep young while growing old.』』 Such is one respect in which the different ways of thought of the East and West are manifested. Youth is like early spring, like the rising sun, like trees and grass in bud, like a newly sharpened blade. It is the most valuable period of life. The function of youth in society is the same as that of a fresh and vital cell in a human body. In the processes of metabolism, the old and the rotten are incessantly eliminated to be replaced by the fresh and living.
...[I] place my plea before the young and vital youth, in the hope that they will achieve self-awareness, and begin to struggle. What is this self-awareness? It is to be conscious of the value and responsibility of one’s young life and vitality, to maintain one’s self-respect, which should not be lowered. What is the struggle? It is to exert one’s intellect, discard resolutely the old and the rotten, regard them as enemies and as the flood or savage beasts, keep away from their neighborhood and refuse to be contaminated by their poisonous germs....
...Alas! Do these words really fit the youth of our country? I have seen that, out of every ten youths who are young in age, five are old in physique; and out of every ten who are young in both age and physique, nine are old in mentality. …O youth, is there anyone who takes upon himself such responsibilities? As for understanding what is right and wrong, in order that you may make your choice, I carefully propose the following six principles, and hope you will give them your calm consideration.
一、自主的而非奴隸的
1. Be independent, not servile.
等一人也，各有自主之權，絕無奴隸他人之權利，亦絕無以奴自處之義務。奴隸雲者，古之昏弱對於強暴之橫奪，而失其自由權利者之稱也。自人權平等之說興，奴隸之名，非血氣所忍受。世稱近世歐洲歷史為「解放歷史」：破壞君權，求政治之解放也，否認教權，求宗教之解放也，均產說興，求經濟之解放也，女子參政運動，求男權之解放也。
解放雲者，脫離夫奴隸之羈絆，以完其自主自由之人格之謂也。我有手足，自謀溫飽；我有口舌，自陳好惡；我有心思，自崇所信。絕不認他人之越俎，亦不應主我而奴他人。蓋自認為獨立自主之人格，以上一切操行，一切權利，一切信仰，唯有聽命各自固有之智能，斷無盲從隸屬他人之理。非然者，忠孝節義，奴隸之道德也［德國大哲尼採（Nietzsche）別道德為二類：有獨立心而勇敢者曰貴族道德（Morality of Noble），謙遜而服從者曰奴隸道德（Morality of Slave）］；輕刑薄賦，奴隸之幸福也；稱頌功德，奴隸之文章也；拜爵賜第，奴隸之光榮也；豐碑高墓，奴隸之紀念物也。以其是非榮辱聽命他人，不以自身為本位，則個人獨立平等之人格消滅無存，其一切善惡行為勢不能訴之自身意志而課以功過，謂之奴隸，誰曰不宜？立德立功，首當辨此。
… The history of modern Europe is commonly referred to as a 「history of emancipation」: the destruction of monarchical power aimed at political emancipation; the denial of Church authority aimed at religious emancipation; the rise of the theory of equal property aimed at economic emancipation; and the suffragist movement aimed at emancipation from male authority. …
... Emancipation means freeing oneself from the bondage of slavery and achieving a completely independent and free personality. I have hands and feet, and I can earn my own living. I have a mouth and a tongue, and I can voice my own likes and dislikes. I have a mind, and I can determine my own beliefs. I will absolutely not let others do these things in my behalf, nor should I assume an overlordship and enslave others. For once the independent personality is recognized, all matters of conduct, all rights and privileges, and all belief should be left to the natural ability of each person; there is definitely no reason why one should blindly follow others. . . . [It should be clear that] loyalty, filial piety, chastity and righteousness are a slavish morality. ...
二、進步的而非保守的
2. Be progressive, not conservative.
人生如逆水行舟，不進則退，中國之恆言也。自宇宙之根本大法言之，森羅萬象，無日不在演進之途，萬無保守現狀之理；特以俗見拘牽，謂有二境，此法蘭西當代大哲柏格森（H. Bergson）之「創造進化論」（L』Evolution Creatrice）所以風靡一世也。以人事之進化言之，篤古不變之族，日就衰亡；日新求進之民，方興未已；存亡之數，可以逆睹。矧在吾國，大夢未覺，故步自封，精之政教文章，粗之布帛水火，無一不相形醜拙，而可與當世爭衡？
舉凡殘民害理之妖言，率能徵之故訓，而不可謂誣，謬種流傳，豈自今始！固有之倫理、法律、學術、禮俗，無一非封建制度之遺，持較皙種之所為，以並世之人，而思想差遲幾及千載；尊重廿四朝之歷史性，而不作改進之圖，則驅吾民於二十世紀之世界以外，納之奴隸牛馬黑暗溝中而已，複何說哉！於此而言保守，誠不知為何項制度文物可以適用生存於今世。吾寧忍過去國粹之消亡，而不忍現在及將來之民族不適世界之生存而歸削滅也。
嗚呼！巴比倫人往矣，其文明尚有何等之效用耶？皮之不存，毛將焉附？ 世界進化，駸駸未有已焉。其不能善變而與之俱進者，將見其不適環境之爭存，而退歸天然淘汰已耳，保守云乎哉！
… it is plain that those races that cling to antiquated ways are declining, or disappearing, day by day, and the peoples who seek progress and advancement are just beginning to ascend in power and strength. …Now our country still has not awakened from its long dream, and isolates itself by going down the old rut.
...All our traditional ethics, law, scholarship, rites and customs are survivals of feudalism. When compared with the achievement of the white race, there is a difference of a thousand years in thought, although we live in the same period. Revering only the history of the twenty-four dynasties and making no plans for progress and improvement, our people will be turned out of this twentieth-century world, and be lodged in the dark ditches fit only for slaves, cattle, and horses. ...
...The progress of the world is like that of a fleet horse, galloping and galloping onward. Whatever cannot skillfully change itself and progress along with the world will find itself eliminated by natural selection because of failure to adapt to the environment. Then what can be said to defend conservatism!
三、進取的而非退隱的
3. Be aggressive, not retiring.
當此惡流奔進之時，得一二自好之士，潔身引退，豈非希世懿德。然欲以化民成俗，請於百尺竿頭，再進一步。夫生存競爭，勢所不免，一息尚存，即無守退安隱之餘地。排萬難而前行，乃人生之天職。以善意解之，退隱為高人出世之行；以惡意解之，退隱為弱者不適競爭之現象。歐俗以橫厲無前為上德，亞洲以閒逸恬淡為美風，東西民族強弱之原因，斯其一矣。此退隱主義之根本缺點也。
若夫吾國之俗，習為委靡：苟取利祿者，不在論列之數；自好之士，希聲隱淪，食粟衣帛，無益於世，世以雅人名士目之，實與遊惰無擇也。人心穢濁，不以此輩而有所補救，而國民抗往之風，植產之習，於焉以斬。人之生也，應戰勝惡社會，而不可為惡社會所徵服；應超出惡社會，進冒險苦鬥之兵，而不可逃循惡社會，作退避安閒之想。嗚呼！歐羅巴鐵騎，入汝室矣，將高臥白雲何處也？吾願青年之為孔、墨，而不願其為巢、由；吾願青年之為託爾斯泰與達噶爾(R. Tagore，印度隱遁詩人)，不若其為哥倫布與安重根！
. . . . It is impossible to avoid the struggle for survival, and so long as one draws breath there can be no place where one can retire for a tranquil hermit’s life. It is our natural obligation in life to advance in spite of numerous difficulties. … Stated in kindly terms, retirement is an action of the superior man in order to get away from the vulgar world. Stated in hostile terms, it is a phenomenon of the weak who are unable to struggle for survival.… Alas! The war steeds of Europe are intruding into your house. Where can you quietly repose under a white cloud?
四、世界的而非鎖國的
4. Be cosmopolitan, not isolationist.
並吾國而存立於大地者，大小凡四十餘國，強半與吾有通商往來之誼。加之海陸交通，朝夕千裡，古之所謂絕國，今視之若在戶庭。舉凡一國之經濟政治狀態有所變更，其影響率被於世界，不啻牽一髮而動全身也。立國於今之世，其興廢存亡，視其國之內政者半，影響於國外者恆亦半焉。以吾國近事證之：日本勃興，以促吾革命維新之局；歐洲戰起，日本乃有對我之要求；此非其彰彰者耶？投一國於世界潮流之中，篤舊者固速其危亡，善變者反因以競進。
吾國自通海以來，自悲觀者言之，失地償金，國力索矣；自樂觀者言之，倘無甲午庚子兩次之福音，至今猶在八股垂發時代。居今日而言鎖國閉關之策，匪獨力所不能，亦且勢所不利。萬邦並立，動輒相關，無論其國若何富強，亦不能漠視外情，自為風氣。各國之制度文物，形式雖不必盡同，但不思驅其國於危亡者，其遵循共同原則之精神，漸趨一致，潮流所及，莫之能違。於此而執特別歷史國情之說，以冀抗此潮流，是猶有鎖國之精神，而無世界之智識。國民而無世界知識，其國將何以圖存於世界之中？語云：「閉戶造車，出門未必合轍。」今之造車者，不但閉戶，且欲以「周禮」「考工」之制，行之歐美康莊，其患將不止不合轍已也！
… When a nation is thrown into the currents of the world, traditionalists will certainly hasten the day of its fall, but those capable of change will take this opportunity to compete and progress. …The prosperity or decline, rise or fall of a nation of today depends half on domestic administration, and half on influences from outside the country....If at this point one still raises a particularist theory of history and of national circumstances and hopes thereby to resist the current, then this still indicates the spirit of an isolationist country and a lack of knowledge of the world. When its citizens lack knowledge of the world, how can a nation expect to survive in it?
五、實利的而非虛文的
5. Be utilitarian, not formalistic.
自約翰彌爾（J.S.Mill）「實利主義」唱道於英，孔特（Comte）之「實驗哲學」唱道於法，歐洲社會之制度、人心之思想為之一變。最近德意志科學大興，物質文明造乎其極，制度人心為之再變。舉凡政治之所營，教育之所期，文學技術之所風尚，萬馬賓士，無不齊集於厚生利用之一途，一切虛文空想之無裨於現實生活者，吐棄殆盡。當代大哲，若德意志之倭根（R.Eucken），若法蘭西之柏格森，雖不以現時物質文明為美備，鹹楬櫫生活（英文曰Life，德文曰Leben，法文曰Lavie）問題為立言之的。生活神聖，正以此次戰爭 血染其鮮明之旗幟。歐人空想虛文之夢，勢將覺悟無遺。
夫利用厚生，崇實際而薄虛玄，本吾國初民之俗；而今日之社會制度、人心思想，悉自周漢兩代而來：周禮崇尚虛文，漢則罷黜百家而尊儒重道，名教之所昭垂，人心之所祈向，無一不與社會現實生活背道而馳。倘不改弦而更張之，則國力莫由昭蘇，社會永無寧日。祀天神而拯水旱，誦《孝經》以退黃巾，人非童昏，知其妄也。物之不切於實用者，雖金玉圭璋，不布粟糞土。若事之無利於個人或社會現實生活者，皆虛文也，誑人之事也。誑人之事，雖祖宗之所遺留，聖賢之所垂教，政府之所提倡，社會之所崇尚，皆一文不值也！
...The age-long precepts of ethical convention, the hopes and purposes of the people—there is nothing which does not run counter to the practical life of society today. If we do not re-string our bow and renew our effort, there will be no way to revive the strength of our nation, and our society will never see a peaceful day....
...Though a thing is of gold or of jade, if it is of no practical use, then it is of less value than coarse cloth, grain, manure, or dirt. That which brings no benefit to the practical life of an individual or of society is all empty formalism and the stuff of cheats. And even though it were bequeathed to us by our ancestors, taught by the sages, advocated by the government and worshipped by society, the stuff of cheats is still not worth one cent.
六、科學的而非想像的
6. Be scientific, not imaginative.
科學者何？吾人對於事物之概念，綜合客觀之現象，訴之主觀之理性而不矛盾之謂也。想像者何？既超脫客觀之現象，複拋棄主觀之理性，憑空構造，有假定而無實證，不可以人間已有之智靈，明其理由道其法則者也。在昔蒙昧之世，當今淺化之民，有想像而無科學。宗教美文，皆想像時代之產物。近代歐洲之所以優越他族者，科學之興，其功不在人權說下，若舟車之有兩輪焉。今且日新月異。舉凡一事之興，一物之細，罔不訴之科學法則，以定其得失從違；其效將使人間之思想云為，一遵理性，而迷信斬焉，而無知妄作之風息焉。
國人而欲脫蒙昧時代，羞為淺化之民也，則急起直追，當以科學與人權並重。士不知科學，故襲陰陽家符瑞五行之說，惑世誣民，地氣風水之談，乞靈枯骨；農不知科學，故無擇種去蟲之術；工不知科學，故貨棄於地，戰鬥生事之所需，一一仰給於異國；商不知科學，故惟識罔取近利，未來之勝算，無容心焉；醫不知科學，既不解人身之構造，複不事藥性之分析，菌毒傳染，更無聞焉，惟知附會五行生剋寒熱陰陽之說，襲古方以投藥餌，其術殆與矢人同科，其想像之最神奇者，莫如「氣」之一說，其說且通於力士羽流之術，試遍索宇宙間，誠不知此「氣」之果為何物也！
凡此無常識之思維，無理由之信仰，欲根治之，厥為科學。夫以科學說明真理，事事求諸證實，較之想像武斷之所為，其步度誠緩，然其步步皆踏實地，不若幻想突飛者之終無寸進也。宇宙間之事理無窮，科學領土內之膏腴待闢者，正自廣闊，青年勉乎哉！
What is science? It is our general conception of matter which, being the sum of objective phenomena as analyzed by subjective reason, contains no contradiction within itself. What is imagination? It first oversteps the realm of objective phenomena, and then discards reason itself; it is something constructed out of thin air, consisting of hypotheses without proof, and all the existing wisdom of mankind cannot be made to find reason in it or explain its laws and principles. … The contribution of the growth of science to the supremacy of modern Europe over other races is not less than that of the theory of the rights of man. …
...Our scholars do not know science, therefore they borrow the yin-yang school’s notions of auspicious signs and of the five elements to confuse the world and cheat the people, and the idea of feng shui to beg for miracles from dry skeletons (spirits). ...
...To explain truth by science means proving everything with fact. Although the process is slower than that of imagination and arbitrary decision, yet every step taken is on firm ground; it is different from those imaginative flights which eventually cannot advance even one inch. The amount of truth in the universe is boundless, and the fertile areas in the realm of science awaiting the pioneer are immense! Youth, take up the task!