本文旨在對《禮記．禮運》提出一個新的和較合理的詮釋；並且由此論證，它的主要內容可視為《論語》中孔學的承繼和發展。本文詮釋的重點包括：小康是於家天下之時藉謹守家天下之禮，加上運用防範或禁止禍亂的措施所達致的平治。大同則跟防範或禁止禍亂的措施完全無關，而是一種連禍亂發生的條件也沒有的公天下的平治。大同小康二章之後的篇幅主要關懷在如何藉禮達致大同。要達致大同，不必先經小康，祇需藉變革家天下之禮以建立天下之禮。此即涉及禮的本質與功能，以及禮運理論。禮的本質見於其為用以承天道治人情的規則秩序，而禮的主要功能則在於達到包括大同在內的生活最理想情況。禮運理論的要點是，祇要合乎客觀的義，禮是可制、修和變革的。要達致大同，其中一個具體方法是變革「大人世及」的家天下之禮為「選賢與能」的公天下之禮。 此外，本文評論了四個對＜禮運＞篇或其主旨的詮釋，以證明本文的詮釋遠較它們合理。再者，本文對三個認為大同小康之說與儒學基本立場有抵觸，或者根本不屬儒學傳統的主張亦作出版駁。最後，本文提出理據證明＜禮運＞篇可視為《論語》中孔學的承繼和發展。

　　　　　The purpose of this paper is to offer a new and more reasonable interpretation of Li Chi-Li Yun (《禮記．禮運》) and ,by means of the interpretation, to argue that the main content of Li Yun can be seen as a further development of the Confucianism in the Confucian Analects (《論語》). The main points of the interpretation include the followings: Small tranquillity (小康) is the peace achieved by following the Li (禮) of the world as a family inheritance and employing policies of prevention and prohibition of political disorder or riot. The Grand Union(大同) has nothing to do with the policies of prevention, etc., but is a state of peace in which there is no precondition of the occurrence of political disorder or riot. The passages after the two sections about the Grand Union and Small Tranquillity mainly concern how the Grand Union can be achieved by means of Li. In order to achieve the Grand Union, there is no need to achieve Small Tranquillity first. What is required is only the replacement of the Li of the world as family inheritance by the Li of the world as being public, and in turn involves the theory of the nature and function of Li and the theory of Li Yun. The nature of Li is seen in its being rules representing Tian (天) and regulating Ren Qing (人情) or the human feelings, while its main function is to achieve the best situation in human living in general and the Grand Union in particular. The main point of the theory of Li Yun is that Li can be established, modified or replaced if the objective standard of Yi (義) or what is right is reached. A specific way to achieve the Grand Union, which does not need to achieve the Small Tranquillity first, is to replace the specific Li of 'the family inheritance of state and titles' (belonging to the Li of the world as a family inheritance) by the specific Li of 'choosing people of virtue and ability' (belonging to the Li of world as being public). Moreover, this paper comments on four different interpretations of Li Yun or its main themes, and proves that the interpretation presented here is more reasonable. It also refutes three different views which state that the theories of the Grand Union and Small Tranquillity are incompatible with the basic positions of Confucianism or that they do not belong to the Confucian radition. Lastly, it provides evidence to support that Li Yun can be seen as a further development of the Confucianism in the Confucian Analects.