关键词: 刘家和, 形而上学, 历史理性

Abstract: Based on his study of comparative philosophy between ancient China and the West,Prof.LIU Jiahe set forth an argument that historical reason played a dominant role in Chinese thoughts,while logical reason occupied a leading position in Western thoughts.Those differences must have come from a number of ways.This article tries to offer a solution pertaining to the causes of such differences by placing historical reason against the background of Chinese metaphysics to decern if there are tangible similarities.If so,then metaphysical framework could be identified as one of the factors responsible for the rise of historical reason in China.This article has relied on the prominent features of Chinese metaphysics studied and outlined by Sinologists in modern Western academic circles.There are at least three characteristics,namely,immanent,holistic,and transcending the present.It is discovered that all three metaphysical features found their way into historical reason,which indicates that historical reason is by no means formed randomly.To support this argument,this article brings the reader's attention to the relative lacking of historical reason in Western metaphysical philosophy,which priorities logical reason.In conclusion,four features of Chinese historical reason are identified as follows.1)History is always in a flux of changes,in which present factors alternate with absent factors.Since alternation is constant,the idea of change and constancy becomes dialectical.2)The cause of changes in history lies in the fact that the cosmological nature is being changing,and it is natural to see history is in a flux of changes,since human beings are part of the cosmos.3)Historical reason carries with it a strong unitarian purpose:stability in social as well as natural order.4)Historical reason can be identified in the whole academic circles rather than held by a few.

Key words: LIU Jiahe, metaphysical framework, historical reason