「禮」在清代受到學術界前所未有重視，從清初顧炎武、張爾歧、萬斯同，至晚清曾國藩、孫詒讓等，都以禮為治學關心重點，清儒對禮的討論，大體而官，明清之際尚多研究國家制度層面的禮制問題，其後漸集中在社會禮俗如婚冠喪葬祭的禮儀，以及倫理關係的實踐問題上。凌廷堪兼具徽州理學和乾嘉考據學，尤其是禮學的雙重學術背景，他不但是當時集禮學大成的禮學大師，更是率先提出「以禮代理」主張，直接向程朱理學桃戰，且建立一套禮學思想以取代理學思想的思想體系，此舉掀起乾嘉學術界捨理言禮的學術風尚，更帶動晚清的重禮思想。

”Propriety” obtains unprecedented importance in Ching Dynasty's academics. From the early Ching scholars Ku Yanwu (顧炎武), Zhang Erqi (張爾歧) and Wan Sitong (萬斯同) to the late Ching scholars such as Zeng Guofan (曾國藩), Sun Yirang (陳詒讓) and so on, they all regard propriety as the top issue at studies. At the mention of propriety the Ching scholars discuss in general, they mostly deliberate on propriety establishment from the side of national institutions during the Ming-Ching periods and afterward increasingly focus on social rituals and customs such as ceremonies of grown-up, marriage, death and funeral as well as the network of human relations in practice. Ling Tingkan (淩廷堪) is particularly expert in both of Huizhou Neo-Confucianism (Huizhou Li-Hsueh) and Qian-Jia Textology as the twofold background of Propriety Theory. He, master of propriety, not only incorporates the strong points of different propriety schools but also becomes the first one to advocate ”Propriety in substitution for Metaphysical Principles”, straightforwardly giving a challenge to Cheng-Zhu's Neo-Confucianism. Meanwhile, he establishes a thought system of propriety in substitution for Neo-Confucianism. His maintenance sets off a scholastic trend of discussion on propriety instead of metaphysical principles among the Qian-Jia academic circles, also promotes an array of propriety thought in the late-Ching.