西漢董仲舒思想的特色可以用「深察名號」和「強勉道效」兩句話來概括。東漢王克思想的特色則可以用「驗實名數」和「對治虛妄」兩句話來概括。兩者所同者是「察實名數」，所不同者是前者為「帝王術」而後者為「士民學」。較論董王二人思想之異同，除有助於確定兩漢思想之本色外，亦可釐清中國歷史上道術之「帝王術」形態與「士民學」形態的分際，使魏晉玄學乃至宋明理學的「士民學」思想性格更為顯明易解。

In Han Dynasty, Dong Zhong-Shu's thought could be summed up in two phrases,- ＂examining names＂ and ＂action for effects,＂- while Wang Chong's also in two phrases,- ＂checking names＂ and ＂overcoming absurdities.＂ Both were ＂observing names.＂ The difference was that the former was of imperial statecraft, and the latter was of civil scholarship. This difference was related with a historical watershed of traditional Chinese thought. It can help us understand why all thoughts before the Eastem Han Dynasty were of imperial statecraft, while those thereafter were of civil scholarship.