Negative and Positive: The Imagination of Community in The Time Machine

Journal of Publishing and Criticism

JPC, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2026, pp.77-86

Print ISSN: 3107-0892; Online ISSN: 3107-0906

Journal homepage: https://www.jpcjournal.com

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64058/jpc260108npict

反向与正向：《时光机器》中的共同体想象

王晓惠(Wang Xiaohui)，张莉莎(Zhang Lisha)

摘要：作为一部兼具时空穿越叙事魅力与深刻伦理内涵的科幻经典，《时光机器》是威尔斯共同体思想的集中体现。本文通过深度挖掘作品关于共同体的反向想象：社会伦理秩序一旦失去公正性，不同群体就会从经济的两极分化成伦理的两极，最终酿成人类自取灭亡的恶果，系统阐释作品的正向思考：减少巨富与赤贫的人口数量，消除经济的两极分化，维护社会伦理秩序的公平正义，保证大多数群体受益，才能建立真正意义上的共同体，才是未来人类社会的福祉。共同体健康发展的关键在于公共权力的公正和共享，其路径为保护伦理存在，提高伦理能力。没有伦理保驾护航的科技和社会很可能会戕害人类。人类社会应在共同体框架下，鼓励人们努力追求和实践人性的真善美，实现人生最高境界的社会价值。威尔斯以科幻叙事为载体的伦理思想，直指人类社会发展的本质问题，对于当代社会追求和谐共生而言，无疑具有重要的启示意义与现实关照价值。

关键词：《时光机器》；共同体；伦理秩序；伦理存在；伦理能力

作者简介：王晓惠，广西医科大学外国语学院教授，研究方向：文学伦理学批评。电邮：athena_hui@163.com。张莉莎（通讯作者），广西医科大学外国语学院硕士研究生，研究方向：医学人文，电邮：1363311792@qq.com。

Title: Negative and Positive: The Imagination of Community in The Time Machine

Abstract: As a sci-fi classic that blends the narrative allure of time travel with profound ideological connotations, The Time Machine embodies H.G. Wells’ thoughts on community in a concentrated manner. By deeply exploring the work’s negative imagination of community: once the social and ethical order loses fairness, different groups will evolve from economic polarization to ethical division, ultimately leading to humanity’s self-destruction, this paper interprets the work’s positive reflections: only by reducing the population of the ultra-wealthy and the destitute, eliminating economic polarization, safeguarding fairness and justice in social ethics, and ensuring benefits for the majority, can a genuine community be established, which constitutes the well-being of human society in the future. The key to the sound development of a community lies in the impartiality and shared nature of public power, and its realization path includes protecting ethical existence, enhancing ethical competence. Science, technology and society without ethical safeguards are highly likely to harm humanity. Within the framework of community, human society should encourage people to strive for and practice the truth, goodness and beauty of human nature, so as to realize the social value of the highest realm of life. Expressed through science fiction narratives, Wells’ ethical thoughts directly address the essential issues of human social development, and undoubtedly carry important enlightening significance and realistic reference value for contemporary society in its pursuit of harmonious coexistence.

Keywords: Time Machine; community; ethical order; ethical existence; ethical competence

Author Biographies: Wang Xiaohui, Professor at the School of Foreign Languages, Guangxi Medical University. Research Area: Literary Ethical Criticism. E-mail: athena_hui@163.com. Zhang Lisha (Corresponding Author), Master’s candidate at the School of Foreign Languages, Guangxi Medical University. Research Area: Medical Humanity. E-mail: 1363311792@qq.com.