英国历史学家柯林武德说:“一切历史都是思想史。”①其内涵是:在考虑到外部环境对历史当事人影响的情况下,强调历史当事人思想活动的主体作用。这实质上体现了历史存在与历史意识之间相互依存、相互转化的关系。据此,余英时先生在肯定对整体的历史背景获得充分的理解的同时,大胆预设了思想史的自主性,即“思想和学术,一旦出现就形成了一个自主的精神领域,从此一代一代地接着发展下 The British historian Collingwood said: ”All history is a history of ideas.“ ① Its connotation is: Under the influence of the external environment on the historical parties, it emphasizes the dominant role of the historical parties in their ideological activities. This essentially reflects the interdependence and mutual transformation of historical existence and historical awareness. Therefore, while affirming the full understanding of the historical background as a whole, Mr. Yu Ying-sheng boldly presupposes the autonomy of the history of ideas, that is, ”thought and scholarship, once formed, form an autonomous spiritual field. Since then, Followed by development