梁啟超〈論小說與群治之關係〉一文，向來被視為只是宣傳小說的社教功能。但本文主張，〈論小說與群治之關係〉一文，不是傳統「教化」觀念的產物，而是打破新者一人，新之者又一人的精英啟蒙模式，站在「非新者一人，而新之者又一人也」的平等主義立場，試圖提供個別讀者透過閱讀小說以建構現代公民主體認同的可能性，因此，它的「四力說」具有的重要文化意義，正在於為《新小說》的個別讀者建立起一種實踐公民主體的閱讀方法論。亦即，梁啟超用現代公民的價值，替換了儒家傳統主體訓練程序的核心價值，藉由小說閱讀，成就一種意欲結合傳統文化的嶄新的現代公民的主體。 “On the relationship between fiction and Masses”is a important papers which was seen as just propaganda novel social and educational functions of liang ch'i-ch'ao. We advocate that this article attempts to provide individual readers through reading novels citizens subject to the possibility of constructing a modern identity. The important cultural significance is to establish a practice of reading methodology civic body for individual readers.
