This paper critically reviews the development of sinology in the western world since the seventeenth century, with particular reference to Europe and North America. It focuses on three main thematic areas—scientific positivism and philology, translation and interpretation, and history and philosophy—discussing and parsing the wide variety of scholarship across disciplines. Observing and responding to the scholarship of individual scholars, the author examines the cultural contexts and intellectual characteristics of western sinology, with a view to assessing its scholarly and philosophical impact on East Asian scholars. The lesson to be learnt is that while western sinology offers opportunities and stimuli for creatively rethinking our exploration and understanding of the multiple dimensions of China in intercultural terms, East Asian sinologists must deepen their knowledge of their own history and culture in order to be effective interlocutors in the ongoing dialogues.  ..

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