在充滿變動的近現代東亞，孔子的傳統形象也受到時代浪潮的一波波挑戰。中國、日本如此，殖民地台灣也在「尊孔」與「譏孔」間擺蕩。作為同是孔子景仰者的日本，了解台灣知識份子對孔子的尊崇與情感，企圖藉由「尊孔」行政治操控、作為同化殖民地人民的工具，殖民政府因此主導詮釋孔子及其思想的話語權，這些是研究者欲了解殖民政策不可忽視的環節。此外，由於邁向現代與文明，不少挑戰傳統者開始藉由笑話、諧談等文字，在笑謔間為孔子建立多元形象。但，無論是尊崇或是譏嘲，孔子形象是否能符合新時代潮流，正是產生儒、墨之辯的原由。或許時人對孔子形象的尊崇與譏笑互異，但孔子形象隨著時代變異己不再單一僵化，證明孔子形象仍具「聖之時者」的優點，在變動的時代，孔子的擁護者們正積極為他尋找新定位。

In Pre-modern Eastern Asia, the canon seemed to be challenged. Taiwan in Japanese colonial period, the image of Confucius had been challenged, too. Japanese as the colonizer attempted to assimilate Taiwanese to expand their national policy through sharpening the interpretation of Confucius. Therefore, many people challenged Confucius by the writings of joke, trying to establish multiple interpretation of Confucius. Their purpose is to examine the thought of Confucius whether it fixed the new rea or not. That is also the initial reason of the debate between Confucianism and Moism. In the praise and sarcasm of Confucius, it illustrated that Confucius had been knocked off his pedestal. In the meantime, it illuminated that Confucianism still remained the core concept in Taiwan and Japan. In this changing era, the followers of Confucius made effort to find the new position for Confucius.