文化史上的所谓近代化,指的是一个民族的文化走出中古而发展成为近代形态文化的历程。论者多以1840年鸦片战争为中国文化近代化进程的始点,更进而认为若无西方社会与文化的冲击,中国文化断无近代化的可能。这种观点似乎有部分真实性。但是,我们如果把考察问题的视野放得远一些,则不难发现早在明清之际(公元17世纪)中国文化即已开始其形 The so-called modernization in the history of culture refers to the course in which a nation’s culture emerged from the Middle Ages and developed into a modern form of culture. Most of the scholars take the Opium War of 1840 as the starting point of the process of modernization of Chinese culture, and further think that without the impact of Western society and culture, there is no possibility of modernization of Chinese culture. This view seems to be partly true. However, if we further examine the issue of investigation, it is not hard to find that as early as the Ming and Qing dynasties (in the 17th century AD) Chinese culture started its shape