本文之所以將包世臣與魏源的經世思想作一比較分析，係因兩人的困頓境遇頗為相似，又均是嘉道咸時期主張經世致用的重要人物。包世臣一生是極端的道德論者，他主張利用保甲制度，強制的推行德治。其所提出的辦法頗似極權政治，對人民諸事嚴格規範。然則由於家貧青少時代曾種植蔬果維持家計，又性格務實，凡事必親臨其境， 考察利弊得失，對於清代漕運鹽政與河工均能提出可行的改革意見。更因留心時事，極早對英人在遠東的活動，提出警告，甚至主張必要時派兵驅逐英人，佔領新嘉坡，改為郡縣。對於英人在華大量傾銷鴉片及棉紡職品，使中國農村經濟破產，白銀外流，極為留心，主張貨幣使用銅織、紙鈔，而不廢銀。所謂而不廢銀者，係仍然允許民間持有白銀。 魏源自幼個性孤獨，喜好沈思冥想。青少年時代喜愛王陽明心學，迨游學北京，師侍公羊學大師劉逢祿以後，乃沉潛於公羊學與理學，對於古本經典，深具研究心得。先後編著有大學古本、詩古微、書古微、公羊古微、董氏春秋發微諸書，已儼然成為經學名家。道光初年因賀長齡所託，編輯皇朝經世文編。及入江督陶澍與蘇撫賀長齡幕府，更注重經世致用之學。主法後王，注重當代。此後因受鴉片戰敗的刺激與林則徐的委託，編撰成海國圖志一書，介紹世界諸國形勢，主張以夷制夷。頗以是卓越的縱橫家自居。 魏源經世思想注重收集文獻，溯源尋根，建立理論，於清代鹽漕河工的改革均著有專著，但總不及包世臣的實際可行。其西方知識遠比包世臣豐富，卻也不及包世臣觀察敏銳深刻。如果說魏源思想反映出書生本色，則包世臣一切講求實際，注重可行性。在十九世紀包世臣是著名的詩人及書法家，唯由於在經學的造詣上遠不及魏源，而其經世理論架構又不能如魏源聳人聽聞，致其在經世思想上的地位頗不及魏源聞名。

This article aims at a comparative analysis on the similarity and difference on the statecraft between Bao Shih-chen and Wei Yuan. Having met the same vicissitudes, they stood out as important scholars who insisted on statecraft duringChia-ching to Hsian-feng Periods. As a moral extremist and a practical person, Bao Shih-chen proposed reforms on water transport of rice, salt monopolization and river management,which seemed most feasible, He also admonished Chinese to be aware of those Englishmen who invaded actively in the Far East, and even proposed to expel them from Singapore by force if necessary. While the Indian opium and English textiles were tremendously dumped in China which led to the collapse of Chinese rural economy and Chinese silver flowing abroad, he insisted on using copper-coins and bills instead of abandoning the silver. Living in solitude in his childhood,Wei Yuan was prone to meditate and absorbed in Yang-ming learning. After having studied in Peking and been taught by Liu Feng-lu, he was infatuated with Kung-yang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Neo-confucian philosophy . He wrote and edited books on classics, and then became a famous scholar of classics, In the early Tao-kuang years, he edited a book under the title “Collected Writings on Statecraft of the Reigning Dynasty (Huang -Chao Ching- Shih Wen-Pien)”. After becoming a guest –advisor to assist Tao Shu, governor-general of Kiangsu, Anhwei and Kiangsi, and Ho Chang-ling, governor of Kiangsu, he devoted to the statecraft and practical learning. Having been stimulated by the defeat of the Opium War and appointed by Lin Tze-hsu,he edited Illustrated Gazetteer on the Maritime Kingdoms (Hai-Kuo Tu-Chih) in which he introduced all maritime powers and suggested that the authority should adopt the policy to control barbarians by barbarians as if he were a talented strategist. Wei also emphasized the collection of documents, searching out the sources of the matter and then building theories on the reform of salt-monopolization, rice-transport and river management shown in his writings,which were not so fearsible as Bao’s. However, Wei’s knowledge of the West was far more abundant than that of Bao’s, but was not profound in depth. So Wei’s thought pretty reflected a scholar perspective, meanwhile Bao was more practical. In the 19th century Bao was a known poet and calligraphist. His achievement in classics was not as high as Wei’s, and his significance in statecraft is therefore not so known as the latter’s.