中西学术界的研究一致注重周敦颐以“诚”为本的思想，并且强调在宋明理学里他理论的关键贡献，从而公认他为理学的开山祖师。可是，周敦颐在中国哲学史具备一种“又中心又边缘”的吊诡地位。这意味着，需要对周敦颐贡献的典型性进行进一步的分析，阐明其哲学思考的独特性。周敦颐哲学思想的独特性是基于其生活态度与理论反思之间的一致性和统一性。这是阐释周敦颐如何以“功夫论”为中心建立其思想结构的前提，也是《通书》整体思路的内在特点。周敦颐思想中的终极关怀是“内圣”的哲学追求，而且他注重个人生活中体现的修养实践，即生活方式中实现“天人合一”。周敦颐的功夫论强调的是，通过道德实践与生活态度之间的统一修养过程来体会“万物一体”（即“全体”）本质价值的必要性。依据个人生活态度与理论反思的统一性，不仅可以展示周敦颐人格的哲学性价值，而且可以从这个角度诠释《通书》论述的系统性，揭示它内在实践性和教化价值。因此，周敦颐人格的哲学性价值与《通书》哲学核心之间的一致性是从人生哲学角度分析他贡献的根本基础。这也称为“作为生活方式的哲学”。在这个框架之内，“精神修习”起着同样关键的作用。“作为生活方式的哲学”和“精神修习”这两个术语是法国哲学家阿多所提出最重要概念。在周敦颐思想中，所谓的“精神修习”能被解释为把道德实践，精神完善和对宇宙本体论原理的理解结合的关键范畴，同时是为理解《通书》统一结构的条件。在这两个术语的基础上可以对周敦颐思想贡献提供新的解读。这种视角不仅能凸显其哲学价值的独特性，而且假设对“哲学”概念本身的一种更广泛的定义的可能性。
Within Chinese and Western academic circles, scholars’ research emphasizes Zhou Dunyi's crucial theoretical contribution to Neo-Confucianism, unanimously focusing on the role of “cheng” (sincerity) in his thought, thus recognizing him as the pioneer of the Neo-Confucian tradition. However, within the sphere of the history of Chinese philosophy, Zhou Dunyi plays a significant but, at the same time, marginal position. Hence, Zhou Dunyi's contribution needs to be further analyzed to clarify the representative character of his theory and the specificity of his philosophical thinking. The specificity of Zhou Dunyi's philosophical thought is based on the consistency and unity between his life attitude and theoretical reflection. This is the premise to explain how Zhou Dunyi lays the foundation for the ideological structure of his thought centered on a "gongfulun", i.e., practical realization theory, and can be interpreted as the consistent and logical line of argumentation of his work Tongshu. The ultimate concern of Zhou Dunyi's thought is a philosophical realization of "inner sageliness," so he accordingly pays attention to the self-cultivation accomplished through personal life practice and life attitude, that is, the realization of "the unity of Heaven and man" within the sphere of the way of life. Thus, Zhou Dunyi's gongfulun emphasizes the necessity of understanding the essential value of "all things in one" (i.e., "the unity of all things") through the unity realized by this self-cultivation process. According to the unity of personal life attitude and theoretical reflection, we can recognize the philosophical value of Zhou Dunyi's personality, and from this hermeneutical point of view, we can read the coherence of Tongshu's reasoning, revealing the practical nature and enlightenment value of its content.Therefore, the consistency between the philosophical value of Zhou Dunyi's personality and the core of his Tongshu's philosophy can be considered the basis for analyzing his contribution from the perspective of philosophy of life, also defined as "philosophy as way of life." Within this framework, "spiritual exercise" plays an equally crucial role. "Philosophy as way of life" and "spiritual exercise" are two important concepts discussed by the French philosopher Pierre Hadot. In Zhou Dunyi's thought, "spiritual exercise" can be interpreted as a crucial conceptual category that demonstrates the unity between moral practice, spiritual perfection, and understanding the essential value of cosmic ontology; it also plays a fundamental hermeneutical role for understanding Tongshu's structural unity. Within this hermeneutical framework, we can provide a new interpretation of Zhou Dunyi's thought. This perspective not only can give prominence to the specificity of its philosophical value but can also suggest the possibility of a broader definition of the concept of "philosophy" itself.
