嚴復的體育思想，基於甲午戰敗的危機意識，加以受到達爾文的進化論和斯賓塞的社會達爾文主義的薰陶，形成了嚴復體育思想的主要淵源。嚴復體育思想的特質，乃建立於「國富民強」的目的之上，主張「體育救國J'期能達「自強保種」的目標，這種「自強保種」的思想，含有「強種強國論」、「強化體質論」和「優生保健論」三個層面。嚴復的體育思想，為中國近代體育思想的先驅，形成清末民初軍國民教育體育思想的重要淵源，激發了體育意識的抬頭，使體育得以納入學校教育的一環;也因此，使體育淪為工具化傾向，造成體育人本化的本質，受到發展上的限制。

Yan，fu's physical education ideology was based on the crisis consciousness toward the failure of the battle between Japan & China (1895)， and being effected by C.Darwin's(1809-1882). Eugenics theory & H.Spencer(1820-1903).Social Darwinism， which forms the main origion of Yan，fu's physical education ideology. The special quality of Yan，fu's physical education ideology was based on the goal "To make one's country rich & build up its military power"， & advocates "To save the country through physical education"， and to achieve the expected goal of "selfinprovement & eugenion" Theideology of "Self-improvement & eugenics" has consisted of three levels; "Theoryof Healthy Race & Powerful Nation"， "Theoryof Strengthening Physique"， & "Theory of Eugenics". Yan，fu's physical education ideology is the pioneer in Recent China， and also forms the important origion of military and civil physical education ideology in late Chin Dynasty & early Democratic period; which also arises physical education ∞nsciousness， and enables physical education being set as formal class of school education system; & therefore， physical education was gradually regarded as a "tool"， and resulted in limited development of the essence of physical education humanism.