Abstract: Because of the historical characteristic of organising society through ethics， China’s modernity began with the family revolution. Among the many discussions on family revolution in the late Qing and early Republican period， Lu Xun’s “How Shall We Be Fathers Now” not only focused on father-son ethics， but also represented the worldview and historical consciousness of the May Fourth revolutionaries. Inspired by Nietzsche and the theory of biological evolution， Lu Xun asked the “father” to utilize subjective initiatives and advocated for the “position of the youngster”. At the same time， Lu Xun emphasized the significance of social transformation for the reconstruction of the family， and his understanding of “society” was further related to the decline of nationalism and the rise of the consciousness of “humanity” after the First World War. Lu Xun’s emphasis on “love” carried forward the context of the family revolution in the late Qing， and it also reflected the influence from Japanese Birchen writers such as Saneatsu Mushakoji and Arishima Takeo， etc. He tried to counter the increasingly rigid and formalized rituals since the Ming and Qing Dynasties， thus breaking through the inherent paradox of filial piety. Lu Xun criticized the traditional father-son ethics as being infested with authoritarianism and utilitarianism， and had long since lost its intrinsic value. In this regard， he advocated for a return to the natural， humane and sensual dimension of ethics， and extended the temporal direction of the future in an optimistic imagination of life evolution. Lu Xun reframed the father-son ethics with life as its essence， which made his revolutionary discourse on the family subversive， but also created a dilemma for the individual in his overarching vision. In general， Lu Xun responded to the propositions of the times with his own experiences and his identity as a “father”， presenting a dialogue as well as tension between the past and the present. Among other things， his emphasis on the initiative of father-son ethics and his imagination of a mutually supportive society are still instructive for today’s discussions on family issues.

Key words: Lu Xun, How Shall We Be Fathers Now, father-son ethics, May 4th, family revolution