國立臺灣大學政治科學論叢

This paper attempts to offer a broad-minded perspective on the philosophy of statecraft during the Ming-Qing transition. By investigating Xu San-li’s thoughts on Confucianism in detail, it is found that he emphasizes the connection between Heaven-Man relations and governance. Particularly, his Heaven-Man discourse is further discussed to indicate that he advocates the dynamic role of Man in assisting with the nourishing activities of Heaven. Not only can his discourses become techniques for governance, but he also reflects on the content of Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism (理學), owing to theiruniqueness. Xu San-li, therefore, can nowadays be classified as a thinker in the Ming-Qing history of thought.