《朱熹的歷史世界》是作者余英時針對關於宋代文化史與其政治史的綜合研究，尤其注重「文化史」和「政治史」二者之間互動關係，深入研究朱熹時代的歷史世界與其時代背景，系統而全面地從直接史料中搜尋一切相關的論述證據，藉以重建十二世紀宋代最後二、三十年的文化史與政治史。 透過《朱熹的歷史世界》的〈上篇〉為朱熹所處的宋代歷史世界提供了一個較廣闊的思考背景，而〈下篇〉則進入朱熹所活躍的歷史世界的核心地區與時代，作者余英時無論在時間的歷史切面與空間的剖面皆並置呈現其政治與文化的交相思考，尤其，在書中研究的重心論及宋代儒學的復興及其演進過程，其表現在政治史上的層面則顯現在宋士階層改革活動當中的權力結構，與運作方式的辯證，但若檢視其實際的歷史過程發展，這「權力結構」和「運作方式」的發展。 交織統攝在士大夫的文化與政治兩者整體運作的歷史過程，將此一論斷建立可以客觀檢證的歷史事實，這是宋代文化和政治在中國史上的一個非常顯著的特色，書中論述亦指出過去的史學界對此已隱或顯的有一定程度的共識。

”Zhu Xi's Historical World” is author Ying-Shih Yu in view of about the Song Dynasty culture history if the political history synthetic study, especially pays great attention to ”the cultural history” and ”the political history” between the two interacts the relations, thoroughly studies the Zhu Xi time the historical world if the time background, the system but comprehensively searches for all related elaboration evidence from the direct historical data, so as to reconstructs 12 centuries Song Dynasty finally two, 30 years cultural history and the political history. Penetrates ”Zhu Xi's Historical World”＜previous＞the Song Dynasty history world which located for Zhu Xi has provided a broader ponder background, but ＜under＞ entered the historical world core area and the time which Zhu Xi enlivened, author Ying-Shih Yu the center of gravity which studied in the book concerns the Song Dynasty Confucianism the revival and its the evolution process, this in which displayed in the political history the stratification plane appears middle the Song gentleman social stratum reform activity authority structure and the operation way dialectic, but if inspect its actual historical process development, this ”authority structure” and ”operation way” development. Interweaves absorbs in the series in literary intelligentsia's culture and the political two wholes operation historical process, in may objectively examine this judgment establishment the card the historical fact, this is the Song Dynasty culture and politics extremely reveal in center national history the characteristic, in the book elaborates also pointed out the history also has hidden regarding this or reveals had the certain degree mutual recognition.