Dear Professor Guo,

I am a beneficiary of the Department of Philosophy at Wuhan University. I learned much from Professor Xiao Jiefu in Chinese philosophy and the fervent commitment to the life of the mind. I encountered Professor Xiao's creative interpretation of Chinese philosophy, through Wing-tsi Chan, when I was only a graduate student. I was deep impressed by his thoughtfulness and originality in understanding the 17th century "Enlightenment" in China. He helped to build a distinguished center of learning in China. Later learned personally through contacts with Professor Jiang Tianji and Professor Tao Delin, I know well that Wuhan University is not only strong in Chinese philosophy but in Western philosophy and Marxist philosophy as well.

In recent years, I have been particularly close to colleagues and friends in Chinese philosophy, especially Confucian philosophy. I am grateful to many kindred spirits in the Department. Duan Dezhi translated my work on Zhongyong with professionalism in the best sense of the term and Hu Zhihong wrote the most comprehensive study of my mode of thinking to date. Above all, Guo Qiyong has been instrumental in making all my published work available to the Chinese-speaking intellectual community. More important and significant is of course through well coordinated, systematically planned, and mutually supportive effort, senior scholars in the Department have attracted many generations of young talents and thus made it one of the most cosmopolitan and creative centers of philosophical inquiry throughout Cultural China. 

I wholeheartedly offer my congratulations to a group of inspiring and responsible philosophers who have jointly made the Department unique on this happy occasion.

Sincerely,

Tu Weiming

译文

亲爱的郭教授：

我是武汉大学哲学学院的受益者。在中国哲学以及热忱献身于有思想的人生方面，我都从萧萐父教授那里获得了许多教益。当我还只是个研究生的时候，就通过陈荣捷接触到了萧教授对于中国哲学的创造性阐释。他对中国17世纪“启蒙”的富于思想性和原创性的理解，给了我十分深刻的印象。他卓有成效地建立了一个卓越的中国研究中心。后来，通过与江天骥教授和陶德麟教授的接触以及请益，我深感武汉大学不仅在中国哲学方面实力雄厚，而且在西方哲学和马克思主义哲学方面亦然。

近年来，我接触最多的是中国哲学、尤其是儒家哲学的同仁与朋友们。我对贵院许多志趣相投者心存感激。段德智对于我关于《中庸》的研究著作进行了最为专精的翻译，胡治洪撰写了迄今为止关于我的思想的最为全面的论著。更为重要的是，郭齐勇为使用中文的知识分子社群接触我的所有已发表的论著提供了可能。当然，更为重要并且有意义的是，通过良好的协调、系统的规划与相互的支持，贵院的杰出学者吸引了一批又一批青年才俊，从而成为整个文化中国最具知名度和创造力的哲学研究机构之一。

值此令人欣喜的时刻，我对贵院那些具有影响力和责任感的哲学家们，对通过共同参与而创造了贵院独特成就的群体，致以衷心的祝贺。

忠诚的杜维明

2006年11月12日