方以智(1611-1671)為明末清初重要思想家。本文旨在探討方氏《東西均》的生死哲學。方氏論「生死」有狹義與廣義，狹義是指人生命存在與否，廣義則就氣的變化談小生死與大生死。對於會通三教，雖然方氏曾出入三教，且亦承繼三教思想，但真正關切者並非如何會通，而是如何思考人的存在及意義。方氏論生死不拘限三家所論，而擴大思考天地未生及已生後的狀態。方氏認為天地未生前為渾沌元氣，元氣中已蘊涵陰陽之氣；天地已生之後，元氣亦涵蘊於陰陽二氣之中。正因天地之氣，生生不已，何來生死之分？即此發展出「無生死」的觀點。在此基礎上，指引人看待世界、面對存在問題的思維，提出隨生死、泯生死、貫生死的觀念。本文亦發現來知德的圓圖實為理解方氏生死哲學之極佳圖示。方氏亦指出無執生死的工夫實踐，即悟、學兼行與盡心的工夫。方氏的生死哲學將個人與人類歷史、宇宙連結，解消個人生死問題對吾人的禁錮，足為吾人參考。

The purpose of this study aims to discuss Fang Yi-zhi’s philosophy of life and death, the significant thinker in late Ming and early Qing, According to his concept of life and death, Fang covers both the generalized and narrowly definitions: the former refers its literal meaning of life and death, while the latter means personal life and death as well as generalized life and death based on the variation of Qi. Although Fang Yi-zhi develop his theory from Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, Fang paid little attentions to combine them but placed great emphasis on one’s existence and its meanings. Transcending the limits of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, Fang went further to ponder state of World preexisted and World already having existed. Fang also brought forward his Qi-based philosophy. Because of Qi pervading the atmosphere without ending, there is thus no distinction between life and death, from which he further developed the viewpoint of non-life-and-death. Fang later developed the ideas of “following the Life-and-Death Rule,” “obliterating the Rule of life-and-death,” and “having the thorough knowledge of life-and-death.” In sum, Fang emphasized not only enlightenment but also the efforts of learning; he also put emphasis on completely understanding the nature beyond life and death through one’s devotion.