在當代新儒家的代表人物中，徐復觀的學思歷程顯然有其獨特性與無可替代性，而他對時代變局的關懷以及對現實政治的批判，更有其卓然出眾的洞察與眼光；也正緣於對自由與民主的見地與堅持，徐復觀乃能投身政論與輿論相互交涉的書生報國的熱浪之中，而因此無怨無悔地以儒者之身分對抗周遭之偏邪與狂妄之惡勢力。本文即試圖在自由的意義（包括心性自由、思想自由與言論自由）以及民主的真諦（由政治主體的自覺至於政治民主的行動）這兩個論域所涉及的問題意識裡，進行相關的文本詮釋與觀念解析，以突顯徐復觀兼具學者與儒者的特出而真實之身分，並嘗試為他一生的志業，做具有歷史定位與生命拼圖的澄清與還原，而對這位終身在學術與政治之間出入自得的典範人物，具體表達蘊含哲學意義與人文意涵的理解與尊重。

Among the representatives of contemporary Neo-Confucianism, the intellectual content of Xu Fu-Guan’s is clearly unique and irreplaceable. Based on his insight and vision, His concern for the changes of era and his criticism of the realities of politics are remarkable. Especially, the views and insistence of Xu Fu-Guan on freedom and democracy led him to involve himself in the wave of scholars seeking to serve their country, in which politics and public opinion intersected. He, therefore, fought without regret as a Confucian against the evil forces of deviance and arrogance around him. In this research, based on the meaning of freedom (including freedom of the mind, freedom of thought and freedom of speech) and the authentic meaning of democracy (from the consciousness of the political subject to the action of political democracy), the identity as a scholar and a Confucian of Xu Fu-Guan would be manifested through clarifying and reforming his historical position. Thus, the exemplary figure of Xu Fu-Guan, who has spent his life moving between academia and politics, is understood and respected with philosophical and humanistic meaning.