中國的文化傳統，歷來都是以道德為價值取向，專注在個人道德心性的探討，並且以形上思辨的型態呈顯著。如此的學術型態引領著中國近千年之久，迨至明末清初，隨著時代的變遷，政經社會結構性的改變，原先舊式的思想型態與價值體系，已經無法解決變革社會的新課題。因而以社會大眾為關懷的價值觀，以及講求實證的學術型態，就在新勢局的要求，與適當的時機下，取代了舊學術而成為新的學術型態（模式）。明清實學思潮是繼宋明理學之後，又一波的學術高潮。它衝破了宋明理學一統天下的網羅，掙脫了封建社會僵化的舊禮教、舊傳統、舊觀念的束縛，可謂是古老的中國傳統思想通往新思想的橋樑。本文分別從明清實學思想的形上本體論與心性論兩方面觀察研究，以窺探儒學於明清之際所發生的價值體系之嬗變。

The cultural tradition of China was always oriented toward morality, focusing on the inquiry of one’s moral mind-nature and manifesting in the form of metaphysical speculation. Such an academic pattern had directed China for almost a thousand years until the turn between the Ming and Qing Dynasties, when the political and economic society changed structurally along with the change of time, and the old thought pattern and value system could no longer resolve the issues with the changing society. Thus, the value system concerned with the public and the positivistic academic pattern replaced the ones as demanded by the new situation and appropriate timing. Ming-Qing pragmatism became a new academic climax after Neo-Confucianism, breaking out of the ubiquitous confines of Neo-Confucianism and getting loose of the old rules, old tradition and old concepts. It is fair to say that Ming-Qing pragmatism was the bridge between the tradition and thought of old China and the new thought. This article is to examine Ming-Qing pragmatism from the perspectives of metaphysical ontology and the mind-nature theory to see the changes in the value system of Confucianism during the turn between the Ming and Qing Dynasties.