本文嘗試通過對亞洲這一思考前提本身進行再探討，對思想史中一些司空見慣的 思維習慣和結論進行反思，並從中尋找突破既定亞洲觀念的可能性；通過對日本近代以來亞 細亞主義討論的審視，本文試圖提出這樣一些基本問題：一、亞細亞主義內含的理念性與實 體性（地域性）是在怎樣的歷史情境中產生和交互影響的？它們各自具有什麼樣的思考維度？ 二、日本的亞細亞主義在建構過程中面對的是什麼樣的基本問題？在不同的歷史階段裡，它 們有什麼樣的內在閒聯性？三、在今天面對亞洲這樣一個集中了東西方和不同學科領域思考 的複雜問題時，我們面對的局限性和可能性在那裡？本文雖然借助於日本近代以來的部分資 料討論近代亞細亞主義的問題，但筆者意在從中提煉和思考亞洲知識分子共有的問題，這就 是，當我們思考亞洲問題的時候，我們是否僅僅在回應西方知識分子的問題？亞洲對於我們 自身，究竟意味著什麼？

　　　　　This essay attempts to reopen a series of unquestioned assumptions surrounding the notion of Asia. Mediating through intellectual history, it critically reflects on the accepted and habitual modes of thinking, and the conclusion, about Asia, so that new breakthrough to approach the concept of Asia might be effected. In discussing Asianism in modern history of Japan, it poses the following basic questions: 1. Within the discussion of Asianism, what were the historical conditions which produced Asia as ideality and Asia as concrete entity (regionality), and how did the two levels of "Asia" interact to influence each other? 2.In different historical moments, what were the basic questions confronting Japan in the process of constructing Asianism? 3.At the present moment, in facing and analyzing Asia, what are the limits and possibilities, given the fact that this involves complex differences of the East and West as well as of the diverse disciplines? In borrowing materials on the problematic of Asianism from modern history of Japan, the author wishes to sort out common question for intellectuals in Asia; for instance, when we think of the Asia question, are we only responding to the question raised by the intellectuals in the West? What does Asia really mean for ourselves?