經典在中外各文明國家都會存在，經典是什麼？簡單的說，一部經典常背負著歷史的痕跡，傳述不同時代的氛圍，並確立讀者自己的位格；因此經典已成為一個人或一個集體的潛意識，深藏在記憶之中。中國的經典較之西方更具有現實生活的楷模性與指引性，凡是「由聖人及門弟子著作，或經聖人刪定的著作，且經當時政府認可，立於學官的著作就成為經典」，這使得經典更具有文化上的典範性。由於漢武帝的獨尊儒術並與人才的擢拔結合，使得中國長期以儒家的論著作為「經典」，然而究竟哪些儒家著作可以被尊為經典？官方的石經刊刻給予一個明確的典範地位。這也就是經典的石刻化，與石刻的經典化。由石經的刊刻，可以看出官方如何利用石經的刊刻來展現當時的主流學術思潮，如正始石經改變熹平石經展現的今文經的正統系統，以古文經書為刊刻對象；開成石經綜合今古文經學義理與考據不同的學風，擴大史學的領域，加強訓詁與考據的份量等。更值得注意的是西安碑林中所展現出宋代對於所謂經典的寬容性，是一個融合釋、道、儒的學術體系。石刻的昭示性及系統性可以作為經典研究的重要切入點，而宋代對於學術的開放性，更給予後世一個啟示：對於中國經典的認知，是否可以更加拓展，讓中國的學術有更廣袤的空間。

Classic literature exists in every country, every culture. What is classical literature? Simply put, a classic text often bears the test of time; it transcribes an aura of an entirely different epoch, and allows readers to a certain placement. Classical literature becomes a subconscious memory of an individual or a social group. Compared to western classics, Chinese classics are more closely related to real life as models for emulation. “Certain literature, if written by sacrosanct intellectuals and disciples, or having been collated or edited by such intellectuals, with the support of its contemporary government, and established as educational texts, becomes classical texts.” As such, classical literature is culturally more representative. Since Han Wudi upheld Confucianism, and used the ideology to select imperial officials, Confucianism literature has become China’s classical literature for a long time. But which Confucian literature can be hailed as classic? Imperial-issued inscriptions define a clear placement. This is the “inscriptionalization” of the Classics, and the “Classical-ization” of inscriptions. From imperial-issued classical literature inscriptions, we can observe how imperial governments “exhibit” mainstream intellectual movements for example, the Zhengshi Stone classics changed the orthodox Contemprary Classics school (or the Xiping Stone classics),and put emphasis upon the publication of Contemporary Classics literature. The Kaichen stone classics synthesized different schools of criticisms and textual analyses in Ancient Classics and Contemporary Classics, and expanded the field of history, reemphasized exegetical criticism and textual criticism. Song Dynasty exhibitions in the Xi’an Beilin Museum show a composite feature of the definition of Chinese classics that includes the Buddhist, the Taoist, and the Confucian systems. Exemplary and systematic features of inscriptions are important channels to the study of classical literature. The intellectual liberalism shown in Song Dynasty is an important example for future studies: recognition of Chinese classics must be expanded to allow more room for Confucian scholarship.