Yan Fu put forward the idea of saving the nation from extinction. Yan Fu's evolutionary translation based on "natural selection, survival of the fittest" had a great influence at that time, and it was the most important enlightenment translation in China in the 20th century.

Thoughts on saving the nation from extinction;

The economic strength of national capitalism is very weak, the social foundation of the national bourgeoisie is quite narrow, and the reformists, the political representative of the national bourgeoisie, are even weaker. Many people themselves still retain the traces of feudal literati.

They have neither strict organization, real power and army, nor mobilize the masses. In this way, they can only pin all their hopes for reform on an emperor Guangxu who has no real power.