在經學昌隆的傳統學術時代，經典詮釋以解經學方式存在，其預設作者意圖與文本意義（經書義理）之間存在著同構關係，奉「通經明理」為詮釋之旨趣，以作者意圖（聖賢之意）為詮釋之目標。掌握裁定經典詮釋真理性權力的政教權威，通過控制詮釋權使得意識形態化的經典詮釋擁有了合法性，也同時使得按照作者意圖與文本意義同構關係進行注經解經的傳統經典詮釋範式擁有了合理性。晚清以降，政教系統垮塌，現代學術體系登場，經學失去官學地位，「釋經」取代「宗經」，經典詮釋意識內存之吊詭現象展露無遺。唯有完成自身的現代性轉變，中國的經典詮釋意識方能消除自身內在的衝突。哲學詮釋學為經典詮釋意識的現代性轉變提供了可資借鑒的現代詮釋學範式，指示了一條從經典注釋學轉型為經典詮釋學的道路。

In the era of thriving Confucian Classical Studies, the Chinese classics exegesis, existing as a way to decipher the classics, assumed a congruent relationship between the author’s intention and the textual meaning (the principles contained within the classics), and aimed to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the author (the wisdom of sages). The authoritative power to determine the truthfulness of classical exegesis was held by the political and religious authorities, who controlled the exegesis process, thus granting legitimacy to ideologically-based interpretations of the classics. This also lent rationality to the traditional paradigm of annotating and interpreting the classics based on the congruent relationship between author’s intention and textual meaning. However, with the collapse of the political and religious system in the late Qing Dynasty and the emergence of modern academic systems, Confucian classical studies lost their official status. “Interpreting the classics” supplanted “revering the classics”, revealing the perplexing phenomenon within the consciousness of Chinese Classics exegesis. Only through completing its own modern transformation can the consciousness of classical exegesis resolve its internal conflicts, as the Phoenix ashes reborn. Philosophical hermeneutics offers a viable modern paradigm for the transformation of hermeneutic consciousness for Chinese classics studies and points to a path from classical exegesis to classical hermeneutics.