成立於清宣統元年（1909年）的「南社」，是個「鼓吹革命的文學團體」，以推翻清朝統治為政治基礎，而它的文化思想則是「振起國魂，弘揚國粹」，雖然是一個「文學團體」，但與國學、國粹實有密不可分的關係。作為南社社員，馬敘倫、胡樸安、黃侃三人身處清末國家危亡之際，既為排滿革命搖旗吶喊、奔走宣傳，喚起國魂；又發揮傳統讀書人本色，研究國學，發揚國粹。而後來他們一生在學術研究的路上，又都回歸到國學的「獨有」之學、「根柢」之學─文字學，由《說文》研究出發，終至耕耘出個人豐厚的學術園地，在民初國學界留下可貴的文化遺產，這不能不說是南社「振起國魂，弘揚國粹」文化精神的極大展現，也可以為南社的文化精神下一個「存學保國，自文字之學始」的重要註腳。

Founded in the first year of Xiantong Emperor of Qing dynasty (1909), Southern Society was a literary group advocating a revolution, which aimed to topple the rule of Qing dynasty.And its cultural thoughts were "reviving the soul of the nation, and promoting the quintessence of the national culture." Although it was a literary group, it was deeply associated with Chinese national culture and national quintessence. As members of Southern Society, Ma Xu-lun, Hu Pu-an, and Huang Kan lived in the crisis of survival of the nation at the end of Qing dynasty. They advocated the revolution to topple the rule of the Man people, calling for the rise of the national soul. In addition, as scholars, they studied Chinese national culture, and promoted the quintessence of the nation. And later, on the path of academic study they returned to the unique and fundamental study of Chinese national culture, that is, philology. Starting from the study of Shuowen, they eventually planted a fruitful garden of academic studies, leaving treasures of cultural legacy for the field of Chinese national culture at the beginning years of the ROC. This was indeed a great representation of the cultural spirit of Southern Society, which upheld "the rise of the national soul and the promotion of Chinese national culture." Also this appeared as an important footnote for the cultural spirit of Southern Society, that is, "preserving studies to protect the nation, starting from philology."