“西体中用”是早期维新派提出的处理中西学关系的一个命题。它的基本内涵是,西学自有本末,即政治上的议院为本,经济上的以商为本,文化上的以学为本。中国必须引效其体而行之为用。早期维新派以此与洋务派分离。这又是他们与维新派的一个分水岭。“西体中用”是对“西学中源”的扬弃,扬弃中有继承,继承中有矛盾;它也是对“中体西用”的发展,发展中有突破,突破中有保留。三者都是处理中西文化关系的立论,西学中源侧重于学不学,中体西用侧重于怎样学,西体中用侧重于深入学等不同层次的西学东渐问题。它们互相联系,各有重点。 “West-end use” is a proposition put forward by the early reformists to handle the relationship between China and Western countries. Its basic connotation is that Western learning has its own end, that is, the political House-based, economic-based business, cultural-based learning. China must take the lead in using it. Early reformers thus separated from the Westernization School. This is again a watershed between them and the reformers. “West-use” is the sublation of “the source of Western learning”, there is succession in sublation, and there are contradictions in succession; it also is the development of “China in the West but also in the development”, and there are reservations in the breakthrough. All three are the arguments for dealing with the cultural relationship between China and the West. The main source of Western learning focuses on learning without learning. Chinese learning focuses on learning how to learn while Western learning focuses on learning at different levels. They are interconnected and focused.