本文以傳統中西人文與當代自由民主綰合而成的「新人文主義觀」作為余英時問學的主要理論，並以此觀點來貫穿他的精神世界與生命實踐。又以新人文主義為理念探討他在中國大陸、臺灣、香港等地對政治革新與文化關懷的論述。本文進一步探尋余英時何以能夠一生有浩瀚的著作，並投注無數的生命情懷關注華人社會的政治與文化發展，關鍵因素在於他從生命的困境與奮進中汲取中西精神鍛鍊的修養與方法，如學習對話與學習死亡等，進而形成他生命、人格與學術的突破。而他掌握靜觀的人生與行動的人生之分寸，讓他成為一個能靜能動、即知即行的現代公共知識人。

This article uses the ＂Neo- Humanism View＂-a combination of traditional Chinese and Western humanities, and contemporary liberal democracy-as the main theory to look into Yu Ying-shih's studies, his inner world, and life practice. This concept will help to explore Yu's discourse on political reform and cultural concern in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. This article will pay a deeper attention on why Yu Ying-shih has numerous publications in his career, and his concentration on the development of Chinese society and culture. The key factor to promote Yu's achievement is that learned methods of Chinese and Western spiritual trainings from his life obstacles, which include Learning to Dialogue, Learning to Die and so on. This process further shaped as a force to promote his life career, personality advance, and academic achievement. He also mastered how to balance between the vital contemplativa (life of contemplation) and the vita activa (life of action), which is crucial to help him become a modern public intellectual that knows to act both static and active, with mind and hand.