魏晉以降士人階級的成立，以士族為原型，奠定士人階級的合理規範，政治制度也在相同的脈絡下展開。自隋唐以降，士族喪失既有優勢，士人的社會來源日趨多樣化，伴隨著制度變遷，官職競逐日烈，士人行為也在這個脈絡裡趨於分化，士人群體面臨「士不成士」的道德危機。對堅守士族理念者，變化將摧毀整個秩序而亟思改變之，柳宗元正是其中一人。
柳宗元根據四民社會論，重構士人行為的合理價值，肯定士人入仕，並說服士人堅持應有的行為。不同於傳統的道德說服，柳宗元運用當代語言，從利益角度闡明任官之利，嚐試挽救業已瀕臨動搖之士人階級的合理性。他批判當代士族失去士族之「本」、卻仍大張士族旗號而獲益。柳宗元的批判一皆以德為本。將其視為「對傳統結構與價值的修補」，或許較為恰當。
唐代士人困境導因於制度與社會變遷，若不能在制度層面進行調整，只能委諸士人自省。柳宗元的努力，最終只反映了當時士人的困境，未能提出解決方案。唐代以降各個時期的士人，在社會變遷背景下，通過不同形式的自我反省，冀以強化其士人理念，大抵與柳宗元相仿彿。宋代士大夫如范仲淹天下憂樂之說，或理學去人欲等主張，訴諸士大夫自我克制，成就公利，正位於唐以來士人階級化解困境的延長線上。

The establishment of scholars' class(士人階級) after Wei and Jin Dynasty, regard the gentry clan(士族) as the prototype , establish the rational norm of the scholar' class, the political institution is also launched under the same process . Since Sui and Tang dynasties, the gentry clan had lost their political advantages, the social sources of the scholars was becoming more diversified, following the change of political institution, the government position competes day by day strongly, the scholar' behavior tends towards splitting up in this historical process too, the scholar strata faces the morals crisis that'the scholars does not behave to tally with scholars properly'. To the scholars who stand fast at the gentry clan's idea, these change will destroy the whole order and think to change it urgently, Liu Zongyuan is exactly one of them.
Liu Zongyuan reconstructs the rational value of the scholar’s behavior according to the social castes of the four people(四發社會), affirm the necessity of the scholars being government officer, persuade the scholars to insist on the due behavior. Different from the traditional morals to persuade, Liu Zongyuan uses the contemporary language, expound in terms of physical interests as the officer's profit, try to save the rationality already close to the scholars who has wavered class. Liu Zongyuan's criticism is all based on morals. Regard it as mending to traditional structure and value', it is comparatively appropriate perhaps.
The scholars’s predicament in the Tang Dynasty was led because in the political and social changes, if can't adjust on the institution aspect, can only entrust all scholars to examine themselves. Liu Zongyuan's efforts, only reflect the scholars's predicament finally, but fail to put forward the practical solution.