晚清西學閱讀帶來的近代知識譜系構建,影響到中國士人的知識視野和價值判斷。他們尋找中西相通之處,由比附衍生出西學中國化的新路徑。“Renaissance"最早由傳教士介紹到中國,馬君武、嚴復、梁啟超「古學復興」的譯名,體現了士人對「復古」層面的興趣;「文藝復興」作為「部定詞」進入辭典,在“Renaissance"的漢譯名確立背後,也有嚴復的觀念轉變。歐遊之後,由法國Amédée Britsch的講演,蔣方震、梁啟超對「中國的文藝復興」均有闡述,而胡適的參與和張君勱的隔空對話,體現了長期的學術互動和此話題的深遠價值。在「西方的沒落」時代,任公對「科學破產」的論說和對清學「科學精神」的強調,開啟了近代中國「科學方法」的深入思考。以「西」釋「中」,借「文藝復興」論清學復古,彰顯了西學衝擊下「反求諸己」的時代風氣和士人心態。
The construction of modern knowledge genealogy by the reading of western knowledge in the late Qing Dynasty, had affected the Chinese intellectuals' vision of their knowledge, and their values. They sought the similarities between the East and the West, and put forward a new way to sinicize the western knowledge by analogy. The concept "Renaissance" was initially introduced to China by missionaries, and its Chinese translation of "Guxue Fuxing" 古學復興 was coined by Ma Junwu, Yan Fu and Liang Qichao, reflecting the scholars' interests in restoring ancient ways. As a "standard scientific term," "Renaissance" was included in the dictionary, which represents the establishment of its Chinese translation and the conceptual change of Yan Fu. After their European tour, based on the speech of Amédée Britsch, both Jiang Fangzhen and Liang Qichao had elaborated on the "Chinese Renaissance." Hu Shi's participation and Zhang Junmai's response to the debate, reflected their long-term academic interaction, and the far-reaching value of this topic as well. In the era of the decline of the west, Liang Qichao's comments on "scientific bankruptcy" and emphasis on the scientific spirit of Qing, opened up the deep thinking of "scientific method" in modern China. The interpretation of Chinese thoughts with with the understanding of the concept "Renaissance" in western world has showed the trend of self-reflection with the influence of western knowledge.