學術界對於儒家思想在今日的影響力有兩種完全相反的評估:有些學者認為它已死亡，另一些學者卻認為它仍保有極強的生命力。為了廓清這個迷團，筆者區分三個層面的「儒學」:制度化儒學、社會化儒學和深層化儒學，並且指出:這三種意義的「儒學」均無法說明儒家思想之本質。因此，筆者從超越的層面將儒家思想底本質界定為「內聖外王」。但是面對時代底變遷，傳統儒家「內聖外王」底思想格局勢必要透過重新詮釋而自我轉化。筆者以為當代新儒家底構想是這種自我轉化底成功範例，因為他們一方面能在現代化底過程中保存儒家思想底本質，另一方面也能對現代化之流弊加以批判。

　　　　　With regard to the influences of Confucianism in our tipie, there are two kinds of opposite opinions among scholars : some proclaim its death, and some grant its strong vitality. In order to unravel this enigma, I distinguish Confucianism on three different levels: institutional Confu-cianism, social Confucianism, and subsurface Confucianism. Then, I point out that on these three levels, we cannot find the essence of Confucia-nism. Accordingly, I characterize the essence of Confucianism by the philosophical frame of "sageliness within, kingliness without". But in face of the change of time, modern Confucians are bound to transform this frame by way of a new interpretation of it. In my opinion, the recon-struction of Confucian tradition by modern Neo-Confucians is a good example of the self-transformation of Confucianism, because they are able to maintain the essence of Confucianism in the process of modernization on one side, and to criticize the shortcomings of modern society on the other side.