戴震哲學涵蓋「情欲」與「知識」意涵，也延伸探討「道德」與「知識」、「德性之知」與「聞見之知」等諸多議題。「情欲」向來是論證戴震哲學論血氣心知性善的「道德」基礎，但亦不可忽略戴震也強調「知識」的重要性，更標榜主張「德性資於學問」，由「道問學」達至「尊德性」。「知識」本質是什麼？「德性」的價值是什麼？以「理智德性」、「道德德性」分析人對知識的認知關係是當代德性知識論新趨勢。「德性」理論已為西方學界開拓新視野，鑑於此，本文即就西方德性知識論視域探析戴震哲學，首先，試問「情欲」與「知識」如何架構「道德」？「道德」與「知識」是否如同「德性知識論」之「道德德性」與「理智德性」？其次，做為「心知」認知判斷是「理智德性」功能？還是「道德德性」作用？再者，「德性資於學問」是道德實踐理論，還是認知活動的描述？由「道問學」通往「尊德性」的知識論型態是同恩斯特‧索薩建立在卓越能力基礎之「德性可靠論」？抑或是琳達‧札格澤博斯基建立在人格特質基礎之「德性責任論」？遂此，形成本文問題緣起與研究目的。

The scope of Dai Zhen’s philosophy includes not only discussions of desire and knowledge, but also topics among virtue, humanity and epistemology. Desire is a key foundation of his arguments of humanity. But Dai Zhen also emphasized the importance of knowledge. He further proposed that the essence of virtue is based on knowledge. What is the essence of knowledge, and what are the values of virtue? An emergent trend of contemporary Virtue epistemology interprets knowledge based on “intellectual virtues” and “moral virtues”. Debates of virtue theories are important parts of modern western philosophy. They also broaden the extent of western philosophy. Therefore, this project is aimed on investigations of Dai Zhen’s philosophy based on Virtue epistemology. The author begins with how desire and knowledge become foundations of virtue, followed by the discussions that if “virtue” and “knowledge” in Dai Zhen’s theory are similar to the arguments of “intellectual virtues” and “moral virtues” in Virtue epistemology. And then the author will turn the focus on the general comparisons among Dai Zhen’s philosophy, “virtue reliabilism” of Ernest Sosa and “virtue responsibilism” of Linda Zagzebski.