郭廷以先生是中央研究院近代史研究所的創所所長，該所為了二○○五年紀念創所五十週年，先於二○○三年夏天展開郭先生「門生故舊」的口述訪談計畫，筆者有幸參與其事，除了感受到郭先生嚴肅而溫暖的做人風格，並且能快速進入郭先生的學術思想，茲就所見，參照檔案書信、著
作文本，掘發其史學的一個特色／側面。由於抗日戰爭是二十世紀中國救亡運動的高峰，而邊疆研究又是此一救亡運動的重要組成部分，任教於中央大學的郭廷以為了躲避戰火隨著學校遷到四川，當時受教於郭先生的王聿均（後來服務於近史所）認為，郭先生最有興趣、最精采的課就是邊疆問題。戰後郭先生兩度到臺灣大學短期授課，所講的就是臺灣史；從郭廷以的立場看，臺灣也是中國的「邊疆」。本文針對《臺灣史事概說》的文本，從遠古以至近代――比較引人注意、同時比較引起爭議的觀點作一描述，並根據其他人的研究成果予以評論。本文認為他的臺灣史研究固然有精采的一面，但由於「時代心靈」的限制，無法從臺灣主體出發看事情，旁證之一是他對一九六四年彭明敏政治案的看法，以及處理（同一事件）同仁魏廷朝入獄的態度不符外界期待。
畢竟，郭廷以的生命情調在中國，不在臺灣。

Owing to the fact that the War against the Japanese during 1937-1945
had been the peak of China’s struggle for survival in the twentieth century,with the subsequent study of frontiers as its important part, Mr. Kuo Tingyi(1903-1975) as a faculty member of the National Central University had to move to Sichuan to escape the war rampage. According to the view of his former student Wang Yi-chün, who was later to become Head of the Institute of Modern History at Academia Sinica, Mr. Kuo’s most interesting and learned lectures were on the problems of frontiers. This seems corroborated.In the wake of the War, Mr. Kuo had twice visited National Taiwan University for short lectures, all of which were concerned with Taiwan’s history,and this fact, with its special reference to Taiwan as such, can, as seen from the perspective of the China proper, also be regarded as China’s “frontier”.This paper takes the text of Outline of Historical Events in Taiwan,going through its range from ancient to modern times, while concentrating on those views that have attracted more attention and raised controversies for the needed highlighting and commentaries in the light of researches from other authors. It is held in this paper that despite the brilliancy of his
study of the history of Taiwan, Mr. Kuo could not hold the perspective of
the autonomy of Taiwan, as he was limited by the“spirits of age”, and this is shown in his view on the Peng Ming-min Event of 1964, as well as his outof-expected attitude towards the same related Wei Ting-chao’s incarceration.After all, Kuo Ting-yi’s emotions of life lay with China, not with Taiwan.