二十世紀上半葉的中國學界，對國故的史學研究與對本國文化中義理問題的關懷交涉甚深。此文以湯用彤與蒙文通具有代表性的學術史研究為例，描摹其間治史與明理旨趣之交織。引言說明，在「宋學」討論熱烈的背景下，以湯用彤為人脈網中心的舊派學人如錢穆者，嘗試在歷史研究中闡說外來思想文化如何成為中國文化演進的動因，而以宋代儒學為文化匯流之節點。此文隨後分析湯氏從《漢魏兩晉南北朝佛教史》開始的一系列論著，發明湯氏著眼「體用」觀、在「宋學」前史中勘探理學道脈的意圖，同時亦析論呂澂與湯用彤的隱秘交鋒。此後，此文著力分析蒙氏對儒學思想尤其是性善論在文化匯流中位置的探索，展示蒙氏如何證明漢宋儒學史是中國文化在兼收并蓄之中，不斷內植善性、外弘公平的思想表徵，並討論蒙氏對儒學當代意義的發揮。在結語部分，此文試探了湯、蒙等學人「以史明理」的時代困境。

In the first half of the twentieth century, Chinese historical scholarship was deeply concerned with the question of normative values in Chinese culture. Under the larger topic of "Song Confucianism," this article investigates these concerns through case studies of Tang Yongtong's and Meng Wentong's writings. The article begins by describing Qian Mu's account of the development in Chinese thought from Sinitic Buddhism to Neo-Confucianism. Then, it analyzes Tang's works and reveals Tang's intention to explore Neo-Confucianism in the Song dynasty. This part of the article also constructs a dialogue between Lü Cheng and Tang Yongtong, which further reveals Tang's cultural concerns. The next section of the article examines Meng's explorations of the Confucian theory of the good human nature and its institutional expressions in Chinese intellectual history. It then describes his efforts to prove that through cultural convergence, Confucianism from the Han to the Song continued to develop and advocate the above theory. This portion of the article also discusses how Meng argued for the contemporary relevance of Confucianism as well as the difficulties he met late in life. Through this analysis, this article shows the logic, complexity and predicament faced by modern Chinese scholars who had cultural nationalist concerns and conservative ideas.