本文提出一種在西方哲學背景中研究中國哲學的獨特方式。其核心問題是西方哲學家為甚麼要關心中國哲學，或者能夠從中國哲學中學到甚麼東西。因此從事這樣一種研究的學者所要作的，就不能是簡單地比較中西哲學的異同，並指出各自的優劣；而應該首先對西方哲學家所關心的問題，他們在這些問題上有代表性的看法，及這些看法所可能存在的問題有所瞭解，並在此基礎上看中國傳統哲學在這些問題，是否有比西方哲學更好的看法。由於這樣一種研究屬於比較的研究，本文在轉向這種研究方法之前，首先討論了一般意義上的比較哲學的可能性。而由於關於比較哲學的這種純粹方法論的討論，不可避免地具有抽象性，本文在最後一部分，對筆者近年用這種方法所作的一個研究案例，做了概要的介紹。

This essay introduces a unique approach to Chinese philosophy in a Western philosophical context. The central question of such an approach is why a Western philosopher ought to care about, or what he or she can learn from, Chinese philosophy. For this reason, instead of comparing and contrasting some aspects of Chinese and Western philosophy, as is usually done, a comparativist should first be familiar with the issues Western philosophers are interested in, the representative views that they have developed on each of these issues, and any problems that exist with each of these views, and then try to see whether Chinese philosophers have anything new or better to say on any of these issues. Since this approach is inevitably
comparative, this presentation is preceded by a discussion of the possibility of comparative philosophy; and since such a methodological discussion is necessarily abstract, it is followed by a case study adopting such an approach to Chinese philosophy.