杨度是中国近代史上一位具争论性的人物。他早年在湖南湘潭拜于经学大师王闿运门下，受王氏公羊派的三世说影响，主张治《春秋》以拨乱，施帝王术以辅佐君主，宣扬儒家礼仪以教化社会乃至四夷。后赴京应考期间经戊戌维新案震撼，开始接触西学，最终他决定渡洋赴日本学习。在日本杨度受社会主义影响，起初持激进进步主义思想，主张革命推翻满清政府，施行改革让中国富强。后他改提出温和的“金铁主义”鼓吹渐进改革的英式君主立宪制，与当时鼓吹民主立宪制的革命党展开激烈的论辩。晚清后期杨度推行立宪运动，以召开国会为号召，引起国内立宪运动的启动。后入朝担任官职，其君宪立场改为亲政府，遂引起争议。武汉首义以后，他又改为拥戴袁世凯担任大总统，转向拥护民主立宪制，间接成为推翻满清君主专制王朝的一份子。民国共和时期，杨度又以〈君宪救国论〉宣扬帝制复辟及一度帮助张勋策划满清复辟，皆招来舆论强烈挞伐。失败后虽宣布从此放弃君宪立场，但已被定为 “帝制祸首、帝制余孽”等负面印象。晚年杨度转向研究佛学。他自信从禅宗的顿悟中看破我见，宣称通过“无我主义”和“四不法门”，人人可以破除我见，摆脱为私欲而欺压他人的社会制度，争取设立一个众生平等的社会。同时杨度也开始接触马克思主义，这让他晚年时期开拓救国思考的视野，从唯物史观认识人类的阶级变迁，进而尝试融汇儒家大同思想与共产主义的平等共食及各取所需、各尽其能观念，为其转为马克思主义者作完美的转接工作。杨度一生的境遇展现中国近代史上知识分子为家国救亡图存思索与奋斗的一个侧面。在没有前例可援及面对严峻的亡国灭种挑战下，他们各自运用不同的思想资源提倡多元的复兴主张，最终让马克思主义成功引入中国，帮助中国结束割据局面，摆脱殖民统治，恢复中国独立自主有尊严的大国面貌。
Yang Du is a controversial figure in the Chinese modern history. During his early years in Xiangtan, Hunan, he studied Confucian ideology under the famous classics canon master, Wong Kai Yun. Under the influence of Gongyang's "Three Phase Theory", which was based on its analysis of the "Spring and Autumn Annals", Yang Du advocated the Confucian ideology to educate the society and to facilitate good governance of the Qing Dynasty. However, during his trip to Beijing in 1898, the shocking failure of the "Hundred Days' Reform" had opened the door for Yang Du to discover Western knowledge which he felt was more superior to the traditional knowledge he had learned. Eventually he decided to seek further knowledge in Japan.Influenced by the socialism philosophy in Japan, Yang Du's initial idea consisted of radical elements, advocating a revolutionary movement to overthrow the Qing Dynasty in order to reform and propel China to prosperity. Later, Yang Du revised his revolution ideas to the moderate tune of the "Gold and Iron Ideology", which is a progressive reform model of the British constitutional monarchy system. This aroused fierce debate between Yang Du and the Revolutionary Party, which promoted a democratic constitutional system. Upon his return to China, Yang Du launched the first Constitutional Movement in the late Qing Dynasty calling for the government to set up a parliament in China. Following his appointment as a government officer, Yang Du took a pro-government stance, which sparked a controversy. When the Wuhan Uprising started, Yang Du shifted his support to the democratic constitutional system which supported his superior, Yuan Shih Kai to assume the President position. Hence, Yang Du indirectly played a part in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty.Yang Du once again became controversial when he announced to support the restoration movement of the constitutional monarchy system by Yuan Shih Kai during the early 20th century. Following the failure of the movement and despite giving up his position in the monarchy constitution, Yang Du had been designated as "imperial culprit, imperial remnants" and other negative impressions. In his later years, Yang Du turned to the study of Buddhism. Inspired from zen insights of "selflessness" and the "four “No” principles", Yang Du envisioned an egalitarian society free of selfish desires and oppression and where everybody was treated as equal. At the same time, Yang Du came into contact with Marxism, that had led him to develop a vision of national salvation. Understanding of the evolution of social classes through historical materialism. In addition to that, he attempted to combine the Confucian ideology of universalism and the Communist concept of common ownership and shared access to food and articles of consumption, an adaptation of Marxism was born.The research of Yang Du's political thought chronicles the struggles of an exemplary modern Chinese intellect for national salvation that had paved the way to the modernization of China. In the absence of a precedence and faced with the deadly potential consequences of national subjugation and genocide, they apply different ideologies to revive the country, eventually Marxism had successfully been introduced and helped China end the situation of being separately colonized by different country subsequently restoring China's independence and national dignity of a great country.
