唐君毅、牟宗三、徐复观,殷海光四位先生都是我的师友,他们在中国二十世纪的哲学史上都是有代表性的思想家：唐、牟、徐属于当代新儒家,殷属于当代自由主义。唐君毅先生贯通百家、东西比较,道德为本,以古为尚,体验与思辨并重;非常有教养,诲人不倦,心胸非常开阔,有很强烈的复兴中国文化的使命感,把做学问跟自己的生命成长联系在一起。牟宗三先生是西化的哲学家,是中国二十世纪哲学上成就最大的一个,也是原创力最丰富的一个。他第一个把中国传统的心性之学概念化、知识化、系统化,用西洋哲学的方式来表达;他思想中很大的重点,就在于他有一套中国的儒家模式,这就是＂内圣＂开出＂新外王＂。牟先生是一个有狂气的人,自恃非常高。他喜欢跟学生往来,爱护学生,超乎寻常;独来独往,生活非常单调;上课特别有条理,讲课讲得特别好,而且有热情。这就是他在哲学家之外,能带很多学生的契机。他的生活态度从容自在,是我一辈子都学不到的。我年轻时候的兴趣是搞中国文学,不喜欢搞哲学,完全是牟先生决定了我人生的道路,引导我走向学术思想道路。所谓感恩与怀念,最深的恩就在这儿。我一直以牟先生做模范来学习。徐复观先生一方面卫道,一方面又以自由主义论政,这是他思想的很重要的特征。他对中国文学和艺术的兴趣非常浓厚,这是其他哲学家比较少见的。徐复观先生具有勤奋自学的精神,充当知识分子的角色,担待时代的使命感。他没有教我怎么读书,有的就是一种身教。殷海光先生是台湾非常有代表性的一个自由主义者,是自由主义民主斗士的启蒙大师。他的自由主义不是研究自由主义,而是把自由主义宗教化,当宗教了,他整个生命都在里面。他的思想特征,就是西化。我一生的思想就是受这两个系统的影响,尤其是直接受他们四位先生的影响。韦政通能有今天,跟这四位先生的影响分不开;成就今天的韦政通,有四位先生的贡献在里面;愈到晚年我愈有深刻的体会。
唐君毅、牟宗三、徐複觀,慇海光四位先生都是我的師友,他們在中國二十世紀的哲學史上都是有代錶性的思想傢：唐、牟、徐屬于噹代新儒傢,慇屬于噹代自由主義。唐君毅先生貫通百傢、東西比較,道德為本,以古為尚,體驗與思辨併重;非常有教養,誨人不倦,心胸非常開闊,有很彊烈的複興中國文化的使命感,把做學問跟自己的生命成長聯繫在一起。牟宗三先生是西化的哲學傢,是中國二十世紀哲學上成就最大的一箇,也是原創力最豐富的一箇。他第一箇把中國傳統的心性之學概唸化、知識化、繫統化,用西洋哲學的方式來錶達;他思想中很大的重點,就在于他有一套中國的儒傢模式,這就是＂內聖＂開齣＂新外王＂。牟先生是一箇有狂氣的人,自恃非常高。他喜歡跟學生往來,愛護學生,超乎尋常;獨來獨往,生活非常單調;上課特彆有條理,講課講得特彆好,而且有熱情。這就是他在哲學傢之外,能帶很多學生的契機。他的生活態度從容自在,是我一輩子都學不到的。我年輕時候的興趣是搞中國文學,不喜歡搞哲學,完全是牟先生決定瞭我人生的道路,引導我走嚮學術思想道路。所謂感恩與懷唸,最深的恩就在這兒。我一直以牟先生做模範來學習。徐複觀先生一方麵衛道,一方麵又以自由主義論政,這是他思想的很重要的特徵。他對中國文學和藝術的興趣非常濃厚,這是其他哲學傢比較少見的。徐複觀先生具有勤奮自學的精神,充噹知識分子的角色,擔待時代的使命感。他沒有教我怎麽讀書,有的就是一種身教。慇海光先生是檯灣非常有代錶性的一箇自由主義者,是自由主義民主鬥士的啟矇大師。他的自由主義不是研究自由主義,而是把自由主義宗教化,噹宗教瞭,他整箇生命都在裏麵。他的思想特徵,就是西化。我一生的思想就是受這兩箇繫統的影響,尤其是直接受他們四位先生的影響。韋政通能有今天,跟這四位先生的影響分不開;成就今天的韋政通,有四位先生的貢獻在裏麵;愈到晚年我愈有深刻的體會。
당군의、모종삼、서복관,은해광사위선생도시아적사우,타문재중국이십세기적철학사상도시유대표성적사상가：당、모、서속우당대신유가,은속우당대자유주의。당군의선생관통백가、동서비교,도덕위본,이고위상,체험여사변병중;비상유교양,회인불권,심흉비상개활,유흔강렬적복흥중국문화적사명감,파주학문근자기적생명성장련계재일기。모종삼선생시서화적철학가,시중국이십세기철학상성취최대적일개,야시원창력최봉부적일개。타제일개파중국전통적심성지학개념화、지식화、계통화,용서양철학적방식래표체;타사상중흔대적중점,취재우타유일투중국적유가모식,저취시＂내골＂개출＂신외왕＂。모선생시일개유광기적인,자시비상고。타희환근학생왕래,애호학생,초호심상;독래독왕,생활비상단조;상과특별유조리,강과강득특별호,이차유열정。저취시타재철학가지외,능대흔다학생적계궤。타적생활태도종용자재,시아일배자도학불도적。아년경시후적흥취시고중국문학,불희환고철학,완전시모선생결정료아인생적도로,인도아주향학술사상도로。소위감은여부념,최심적은취재저인。아일직이모선생주모범래학습。서복관선생일방면위도,일방면우이자유주의론정,저시타사상적흔중요적특정。타대중국문학화예술적흥취비상농후,저시기타철학가비교소견적。서복관선생구유근강자학적정신,충당지식분자적각색,담대시대적사명감。타몰유교아즘요독서,유적취시일충신교。은해광선생시태만비상유대표성적일개자유주의자,시자유주의민주두사적계몽대사。타적자유주의불시연구자유주의,이시파자유주의종교화,당종교료,타정개생명도재리면。타적사상특정,취시서화。아일생적사상취시수저량개계통적영향,우기시직접수타문사위선생적영향。위정통능유금천,근저사위선생적영향분불개;성취금천적위정통,유사위선생적공헌재리면;유도만년아유유심각적체회。
Tang Junyi,Mou Zongsan,Xu Fuguan and Yin Haiguang were my masters,though they treated me more as a friend than as a pupil.They each represent an important aspect of the philosophical achievement in twentieth-century China.Tang,Mou and Xu belong to the Contemporary New Confucian School,while Yin is claimed by the liberalist camp.An encyclopedic thinker,Tang Junyi had a high respect for the ancients,yet his central concern was with morality.In order to resolve this problem he turned to both Eastern and Western intellectual traditions.He believed that for one to live a moral life his daily practice is as important as his contemplation.A great teacher with a gentle personality and a broad mind,Tang never felt tired of helping his students.Tang took it as his vocation to revive the traditional Chinese spirit and he set for the future generations a good example in nurturing his own life with spiritual resources.Mou Zongsan had received a complete training in Western philosophy.He is widely regarded as the most original Chinese philosopher with the highest achievement in the twentieth century.He was among the first who attempted to make Xinxingzhixue（Confucian moral psychology） accessible to the modern mind.To do this he developed a conceptual system compatible with Western ideas.Although informed by Western philosophy,Mou＇s thinking centers around the modernization of Confucian spirit,that is,how to develop from the ＂sageliness within＂ a ＂new kingliness without.＂ Mou was a proud person with high expectations of himself.Yet to his students,he was extremely caring and protective.Apart from the joy he took in being with his students,his life seemed solitary and monotonous.In the classroom Mou was the most passionate among the teachers.Systematic,methodical and highly instructive,his teaching proved most helpful for the young students.This is the reason why beside being a philosopher he had many disciples.His pace of living was graceful and gentle,which I can never imitate.I first took more interest in literature than in philosophy.It was Mou who set me on the right track.My deepest gratitude goes to my Master Mou Zongsan.I＇ve always looked at him as my role model.What is characteristic of Xu Fuguan＇s work is the combination of his apologetic writings for Chinese culture and his political writings from the anti-authoritarian stance.He took profound interests in Chinese literature and art,which is rare among philosophers.Basically a self-taught scholar,Xu was extremely diligent in reading and writing.With a strong sense of mission,Xu took the responsibility of a public intellectual.That Xu never taught me how to do academic work does not change the fact that I learned a great deal from him as an intellectual.Yin Haiguang was an important representative of the free thinkers in Taiwan.With his huge influence on the liberalist camp,Yin enlightened a large number of fighters for democracy.He did not take liberalism as a mere subject for academic research,rather he looked at it as something like religion,something,in order for it to bear fruit,one need to put into practice.His is a philosophy saturated with Western ideas.Over my entire career I have kept feeling the influence through the four above mentioned thinkers from these two traditions.I am deeply indebted to these four Masters of mine,for my intellectual life is thoroughly infused with their spirits.
