王元化的"第三次反思"采用黑格尔哲学式的理念，对他的早年思想和学术做了进一步的继承和扬弃。他的思想方法是从德国哲学汲取的"反思"（Reflection），他的精神资源来自家族信仰中的"退省"（Retreat），而根本的思想特征仍然是早年萌发的"启蒙"，是经过"第三次反思"之后的"再启蒙"（Re-enlightenment）。王元化提出"有学术的思想和有思想的学术"，他是一位对于旧世纪中国人的百年历史展开批判，对新世纪人类未定蓝图有着关怀和憧憬的思想家，他在最后二十年中留给了我们一份珍贵的"晚年之学"。

In his “third reflection”, WANG Yuan-hua sublated his early thought and academics by adopting a Hegelian philosophy. His way of thinking is the “reflection” in German philosophy and his spiritual resource is the idea of “retreat” from his family tradition, while his thought is still fundamentally characterized by “re-enlightenment” after his “third reflection”, a new version of “enlightenment” distinct from the old version germinated in his early years. Advocating the idea of “academics with thought and thought in academic depth”, WANG made a critical reflection on China in the past century and an imagination of the uncertain future of the human beings in the new century. He left invaluable learning in his late years.