The 17th-century French philosopher François Bernier developed a distinctive intellectual approach to cultural alterity through four extensive journeys across Eurasia. In his later years, inspired by the Jesuit translation Confucius Sinarum Philosophus, he embarked on an “imaginary journey” to China. Bernier reinterpreted Confucianism as a secular “Science of Princes”, grounded in the governance of the state through “Principles” - ethical foundations aligned with natural law. Through his original expressions, such as “piété paternelle” and “exemple des princes”, he enacted a dual transformation: the “Europeanization of Confucian terminology” and “Confucianization of European political thought”. Drawing on Confucian philosophy, Bernier refined his political ideals, using them both to critique the absolutism of Louis XIV and to advocate for a model of secular rule based on virtue and natural law. His engagement represents a form of cross-cultural dialogue that resists Eurocentrism: Confucianism is interpreted through European rationality, while the experience of the “Other” (China) provides a mirror through which to reflect on Europe's political dilemmas. Bernier’s evolving thought reveals the critical role of cultural geography in the circulation of knowledge in the seventeenth century.