本文主旨在於論誰：在儒家經典中，具體性的歷史事實 (特別是聖賢典範人物的行誼) 之敘述，與抽象性的普遍理則 (如「道」或「理」) 之證立，兩者之間密切結合，有其立相滲透性，故儒家經典中所見的「普遍性」，實係一種「具體的普遍性」。為了證立上述基本看法，本文第二節首先指出在儒家經典中，歷史敘述通常是一種手段，而以建立抽象的普遍理則為其目的。本文第三節從儒家經典中的「道」與「聖人」思想中，分析儒家歷史敘述與普遍理則之間的緊張性。第四節分析在儒家經典詮釋史中的兩種解經方法，一是訴諸個人生命之學思體驗，而使經典詮釋學成為一種「體驗的學問」；一是企圖經由名物制度，或文字訓詰的解明，以確認經典中的「道」之原始的或其實的意義，將經典詮釋學轉化為訓詁學。本文結論，認為：在儒家經典中，歷史敘述與普遍理則之間有其互相滲透性。

This paper attempts to analyze the dialectical relations between historical narration and universal principles in Confucian discourse. We argue in section II that historical narration in Confucianism aims at extrapolating moral and/or universal principles. Confucian scholars argue historical1y, concretely, and hortatively. The “universals” in the Confucian tradition are “concrete universals.” However, a huge gap obtains between “universals” and “particulars” as presented in the Confucian canons. Section III discusses the tension between historical narration and moral or universal principles in Confucianism. Section IV identifies two different approaches to affirming universal principles in Confucian discourse. The first, which is common in the school of Song-learning, appeals to the reader’s own life experience, while the second, which is often employed by Han scholars, urges the reader to affirm universal principles through textual study. We conclude in section V by suggesting that the universal principles in the Confucian classics can best be perceived through the narration of concrete, particular historical events.