自人類進入現代社會，個體成為核心政治觀念，從而有了個體權利訴求。現代國家觀念也相伴出現。隨著西學東漸，個體與現代國家觀念亦進入中國人的視野，「民權」觀念因此產生。不過，自近代中國以來，「民權」觀念參入了濃厚的國家救亡意識，使其一定程度上成為國家救亡的工具。康有為有關論述為此後中國人有關民權與現代國家觀念的討論設定了大致格局。康有為之後，國家主義盛行，特別是中國大陸，自20世紀八○年代始有所反思。倒是康有為對民權與國家觀念的思考餘地相對大一些，雖大致不離上述國家主義趨勢，但其對個體權利觀念有基本認同，並且試圖從中國文化的角度來矯正當時民權與國家觀念的理解風氣，因此頗值得今日學者關注。

Since human entered the modern times, the individual is the core political concept, so as to have the claims of individual rights. At the same time, the concept of the modern nation also appeared. With western thought was progressively spreading to the East, the individual and the concept of modern nation were accepted by Chinese people, the concept of “minquan” (民權civil rights) appeared, but the concept of “minquan” under the influence of The concept of modern nation. Kang You-wei’s thought set pattern for the discussion of “minquan” (民權civil rights) and the concept of modern nation. After Kang, nationalism prevailed, and in years of the 1980s people begun to reflected it at mainland China. Instead, the Kang You-wei’s thought on “minquan” (民權civil rights) and nation was profound, although generally not far from these overall trends, but he had the basic recognition of the concept of individual rights and try to corrected the trends of nationalism by Chinese culture. So as to, it’s worth the attention of today’s scholars.