《变法通议》与《新民说》标志着梁启超早期政治思想的两端，对应的时间大致是1896年至1903年。这一时期，梁启超在政治实践中展开以救国为目的的写作，其著述基于晚清变局并且包含对于传统与现代、中国与西方的思考。梁启超早期政治思想，从其经历来看，可以分为执笔《时务报》时期，执教时务学堂时期，和初到日本时期。从其思想演进来看，从《时务报》到时务学堂，其思想逐渐激进；戊戌变法后流亡到日本，其思想先是相对趋于缓和，之后再度转入激进，在1902年左右达到顶点；1903年美洲之行后，梁启超的思想转向保守。在《时务报》时期的核心文本《变法通议》中，梁启超呈现了其思想的传统面向，以孔子之教为学生为学的志向，以三代之制为学校制度的典范。在康有为与严复的影响下，梁启超从民智出发解决官制问题。梁启超从学校出发讨论变法，将科举归于学校，将取士并入教育。这一进路将教育视为政治的首要关切，呼应了传统儒家的思考方式，与朱子和黄宗羲对学校的讨论相一致，也体现了梁启超从整体上重塑国家生活秩序的视野和努力。到日本之后，在孟德斯鸠、卢梭、耶林、伯伦知理等现代西方思想家的影响下，梁启超的救国关切进一步明晰为建立一个现代中国，并且在放弃保皇之后将建国目标与新民思想结合在一起。国家与国民的关系成为梁启超着重关注的主题，其以国民与国家为一体。民权主张在梁启超思想当中是一贯的，梁启超在《时务报》时期便表达了民权的主张，至时务学堂时期使民权主张进一步凸显，到日本之后梁启超继续提倡民权，并在1901年所作的《自励》第二首中言明“誓起民权移旧俗”。但梁启超到日本之后，在民权的实现方式上，逐渐由侧重于民智转向侧重于民德。梁启超在《新民丛报》创刊号上刊登的《本报告白》一文中言明，《新民丛报》以培养国民公德为宗旨，这也是《新民说》最初的写作宗旨。民德的主题被凸显出来。梁启超所理解的公德指政治美德，这是受孟德斯鸠影响的结果。孟德斯鸠影响着梁启超对中国历史与现实的理解以及对中国未来政治方案的选择。1903年梁启超思想发生转变之后，民权被安置在秩序之下，公德被奠基于私德之上。在现实政治制度选择方面，梁启超由民主共和政体转向开明专制政体。对于梁启超早期政治思想的形成，相较于自由主义与国家主义，共和主义可以提供一个更为全面且适宜的理解视角。

“On Reform” and “The New Citizen” indicated the two points of Liang Ch’i-ch’ao’s political thought in the early period, which was from 1896 to 1903 roughly. In this period of time, Liang’s writing aimed at saving the country, which was done in the political practice. His writings were based on the changed situation of late Ch’ing Dynasty and reflected the thought of the relation between ancient and modern China, as well as the relation between China and western countries. Liang Ch’i-ch’ao’s early thought could be divided into three phases, including the period of working for the Current Affairs, of teaching in the Academy of Current Affairs, and of the early time in Japan. From the first to the second period, Liang’s thought underwent a process of radicalization. After the Reform Movement in 1898, Liang left China to Japan. In this period of time, Liang’s thought became moderate firstly, then radicalized again. In general, 1902 was the most radical time for Liang’s thought. After the trip to America, Liang’s thought turned to conservativeness. “On Reform” was the most important writing in the period of working for the Current Affairs, in which Liang expressed his traditional mind. He asserted that regarding the teaching of Confucius as the aspiration of students and that regarding the institutions of learning of the Three Dynasties as the model of realistic system. Under the influence of K’ang Yu-wei and Yen Fu, Liang started from democratic intelligence to solve the problem of Official System. Liang began the “On Reform” with institutions of learning. He advocated that the Imperial Examination System should be included into institutions of learning, which meant that the Official Selection System should be belonged to education. Thinking highly of institutions of learning and education in the view of politics showed that politics focused on the whole life. And thinking highly of institutions of learning and education in the view of politics was the way of consideration adopted by confucianist, which consisted with the discussion of Chu-tzu and Huang Tsung-his on institutions of learning. After arriving in Japan, Liang was influenced by modern western thinkers, such as Montesquieu, Rousseau, Jhering and Bluntschschli. Under the influence of these thinkers, the goal of saving the country in Liang’s thought crystalized into building a modern China. Liang combined the goal of building a modern China with the thought of hsin-min after giving up the plan of protecting the emperor. Nation and national which were in an organic unity in Liang’s thought became a distinct theme emphasized by Liang. Liang’s thought about People’s authority was consistent. Liang expressed his support for people’s authority in the period of working for the Current Affairs, then made it clear in the period of teaching in the Academy of Current Affairs, and asserted people’s authority continuously in the period of the early time in Japan. In 1901, he wrote down a line in the second of the “Self-encourage” that he vowed to transform the old mores with people’s authority. But after arriving in Japan, in Liang’s thought, the actualization of people’s authority depends no longer so much on democratic intelligence but on democratic virtue. The “Introduction” published in the first issue of the Periodical of New Citizen demonstrated this change of emphasis. In this passage, Liang declared that the aim of the Periodical of New Citizen was to cultivate national’s democratic virtue, which was also the aim of “the New Citizen” initially. Democratic virtue had become an outstanding subject. In Liang’s comprehension, democratic virtue meant political virtue. Such an idea was influenced by Montesquieu. Liang’s comprehension on the history and reality of China was influenced by Montesquieu, in addition Liang’s choice for the future regime of China was also influenced by Montesquieu. After the change of Liang’s thought in 1903, people’s authority was settled under order, and democratic virtue was based on virtue of character. Regarding the choice for realistic regime, Liang transferred from democratic republic to enlightened despotism. Compared with liberalism and nationalism, the perspective of republicanism could provide us with a more comprehensive and adequate understanding of the formation of Liang’s early political thought.