诞生于改革开放后的中国公共知识分子，是中国知识分子群体的重要一员，它既具有知识分子群体的一般特征又有着自身的独特性，因此，研究公共知识分子成为了知识界研究知识分子问题的一条捷径。公共知识分子问题，最根本的是当它处于特定中，其在政治层面所具有的含义及其与的关系，这就是所谓公共知识分子的政治特性。研究综述表明，对知识分子问题的探讨应与其所生存的时代背景、文化传统、政治境遇相联系。既有对中国当代知识分子的研究更多是从思想文化及其社会角色、社会功能等角度展开研究，对知识分子的政治含义及其与政治权力的关系问题则探讨较少。因此，本文选择将知识分子与政治权力之间关系的一般理论应用于分析20世纪两个连续阶段的中国知识分子，不仅具有明显的理论和现实意义，而且相应的分析讨论也为进一步的研究提供了创新可能和思路参考。论文分析讨论了以下几个方面的问题，并阐述了作者的相应观点。第一，中国公共知识分子的含义、其产生机制及一般特征（见第一章）。本文对公共知识分子进行了严格定义，它是指受自律机制约、具有开放性、活跃于公共生活中的那一部分知识分子群体，它伴随着上世纪八十年代公共文化空间的出现而诞生，它既具有一般知识分子的知识性和专业性，又具有自身独特性，如公共性、批判性、道义性、业余性等。第二，政治特性的含义，知识分子政治特性的一般理论（见第二章）。政治特性包括两方面的内容：第一，知识分子在政治层面的真实含义；第二，知识分子与政治权力之间的关系。关于知识分子与政治权力之间的理论关系一般理论主要有“依附—结盟型关系和对抗—分离型关系”两种。第三，自由知识分子及公共知识分子的政治特性（见第三章）。自由知识分子的政治含义是，他们作为政治另册中的知识精英，定位取决于执政系统根据需要而作出实用选择，具体体现在利用、改造、斗争、依靠等党的方针政策之中，其与政治权力之间关系方面，二者之间呈现出单向被动型的关系。新兴的公共知 识分子群体的政治特性则呈现出与自由知识分子完全不一样的特点，在政治含义方面出现了明显的淡化，不再自上而下地由执政系统赋予政治含义，而在与政治权力之间的关系方面逐渐朝着双向互动型模式转变，这在许多公共事件的解决中得到了例证。第四，中国公共知识分子政治特性的成因（见第四章）。分为主客观两大层面：主观方面，主要从中国知识分子自身的文化传统和其群体心理状态两方面进行分析；客观方面，主是要从知识分子所处的时代背景和政治制度环境两方面展开分析。

China public intellectuals were born after the reform and opening up, who is an important part of China intellectuals. It not only has the general characteristics of the intellectuals but also has its uniqueness. Therefore, researches on public intellectuals become a shortcut when we research on intellectuals. Public intellectuals may appear a lot of issues, but the most fundamental is when it stays in a special political system, its meaning at the political level and the relationship with political system. That is the political characteristic of public intellectuals. Research shows that, the intellectual issues associated with its survival background, cultural tradition and political circumstances. The existing researches on contemporary Chinese intellectuals pay more attention to its angle of culture, social role and social function as well. Meanwhile, they pay less attention to the political meaning of intellectuals and its relationship with political system. Therefore, in this paper, we will apply the general theory to analyzing the relationship between Chinese intellectuals and the political system. This has great theoretical and practical significance. The analysis and discussion also provided some innovations and ideas for further research. The thesis analyzed and discussed four aspects of the theoretical issues.First, the meaning of China public intellectuals, its mechanism and characteristics ( Chapter 1). China public intellectuals are an important part of intellectuals. The paper is strictly defining it, which refers to the part that has self-discipline, openness and active in public life. By twenty-eighty's, following with public cultural space, the public intellectuals emerged. It not only has the general knowledge and professional, but also has its own unique features, such as the public, critical, moral, amateur and other characteristics.Second. The meaning of political characteristic and the general theory of the relationship between intellectuals and political power(chapter 2). The political characteristics include two aspects: on the one hand, it’s true meaning at political level, on the other hand, the relationship between intellectuals and political power. The general theory about the relationship between intellectuals and political power are attachment - alliance relationship and counter - separate relationship. Third, the political characteristics of liberal intellectuals and public intellectuals(Chapter 3). The true meaning of liberal intellectuals at political level is that its location depends on the power system according to the need to be made, it embodied in the transformation, utilization, rely on party policy. The relationship between intellectuals and political power shows passive and unidirectional. The political characteristics of newly emerged public intellectuals are showing the new features. Its political meaning appeared obvious desalination. No longer be top-down by the ruling system to endows its meaning. The relationship between political powers gradually transition toward to the double-sided and interactive mode, which is exemplified in many public events.Fourth, The cause of china public intellectuals’ political characteristics(Chapter 4). It is divided into two levels. On the subjective level, we focus on Chinese intellectual own cultural tradition and the group mental state. On the objective level, we need to analysis the background and political environment.