廖平与其他某些持保守立场对西方“深闭固拒”的儒生有所不同,他试图站在儒学的立场上去理解西方,诠释西学。这在其经学三变(大统、小统)时期,尤其明显。廖平通过借助于古代经典、诸子百家文献和西方地理、历史知识,倡言大统、小统,对传统的天下观作了重新诠释,最终证明中国不仅仍然是世界地理的中心,而且依然是人类文明的中心,从而从地理位置与文明程度两个方面解释了中国与世界的关系。 Liao Ping, in contrast with some other Confucian scholars who hold conservative stances toward the West, “tried to interpret Western learning from the standpoint of Confucianism.” This is especially evident in the period when its study of the Three Variations (Dantong and Xiaotong) took place. Liao Ping reinterpreted the traditional view of the world by means of ancient documents, literary works of hundreds of philosophers, Western geography and historical knowledge, and finally proved that China is still not only the center of world geography, but also Is the center of human civilization, thus explaining the relationship between China and the world from the perspective of geographical location and degree of civilization.