【摘要】 本文试图通过对Ontology这个古希腊以来西方哲学中的核心范畴的历史考证来揭示西学与中学在出发点上所存在的一个基本差异，即“是”与“应该”的差异，及其在中西学术和思想比较中的重要意义。一方面，“是”与“应该”的差异，构成了西学与中学几乎一切重大差异的根源；另一方面，这一思维方式在出发点上的差异也标志着中学和西方人文、社会科学学科在多数情况下属于两种不同类型的学问，二者之间在很多领域都不具有可比性。我们既不能以中学的标准来衡量西学，也不能以西学的标准来要求中学。无论是中学过去的分类体系，还是西学现在的分类体系都是在它们自身内在的思维理路的支配下逐步形成的，因而也都有着各自的合理性。更多还原

【Abstract】 Through a historic study of the meaning of ontology which is one of the most important branches of Western philosophy, the present p aper focuses on the analysis of the basic difference between Chinese learning an d Western lear ning, namely, the difference between “to be” and “ought to be” at the starti ng point of thinking. The author argues that this difference not only has caused almost all the important differences between Chinese learning and Western learn ing, but also implies that Chinese learning and Western learning are essentially two different types of learning. Thus the systematics of Chinese learning and t hat of Western learning are both reasonable in themselves and it seems a big mis take to split apart ancient Chinese learning and re organize it according to the syste matics of Western learning.更多还原