本文旨在審視西方學者談及中國古琴的相關論著，就其中涉及中國「琴道」的觀點加以省思，並提出四位具有代表性的人士，包括法國傳教士錢德明（Jean Joseph Marie Amiot,1718-1793）、英國傳教士李太郭（George Tradescant Lay, 1800-1845）、英國音樂學家赫爾曼‧史密斯（Hermann Smith, 1812-1910），以及荷蘭漢學家高羅佩（Robert Hans van Gulik, 1910-1967）等論著的檢視與解讀，以見「琴道」的觀念在西方學者的視域融合下，彼等論述的優點與缺點為何？從彼等的觀點來對比出中西人士對中國「琴道」的認知差異，以反顯出「琴道」所獨具的特色和價值。

The paper aims to examine the essays of some modern Western scholars regarding their viewpoints on Chinese “Qin Tao” （Way of the Chinese Guqin）. The author puts forward the works of four representative scholars as examples: Jean Joseph Marie Amiot（a French missionary, 1718-1793）, George Tradescant Lay（an English missionary, 1800-1845）, Hermann Smith （an English musicologist, 1812-1910） and Robert Hans van Gulik （a Dutch sinologist, 1910-1967）. Through an examination and interpretation of their essays, the author will find the strengths and weaknesses of these Western scholars’ approaches to the Chinese “Qin Tao” and their analysis of its meaning. By way of contrast, the author will reveal the differences in understanding between Chinese and Westerners on the “Qin Tao”, in order to show its unique characteristics and value.