郭店儒簡除〈性自命出〉與〈五行〉專論心性，〈語叢〉多零散補充之論外，其餘各篇理論內容明顯呈現高比率交叉呼應狀況，所論要皆外王之理。 它們以「尊德義」與「明人倫」為為君立政的兩大要項。「尊德義」指推闡禮樂之教；「明人倫」指君臣、父子、夫婦等三親、六位之職德配屬及其親疏規範。它以血緣為先，喪服為據，劃父、子、夫為「門內」，君、臣、婦為「門外」；兄弟是「門內」，朋友是「門外」。「門內」以「仁」接，不可置疑，亦無所選擇；門外以「義」斷，可合可離，可絕可棄。「門內」優先於「門外」，故重父子、昆弟而疏妻子、君臣，多談「孝」而少及「忠」，甚至以犯顏敢諫為「忠」，相較於孔、孟、荀，表現出不同程度的依違情況。它並標舉堯的愛親、尊賢、能禪，舜的孝弟、事君、仁民為外王的第一典範。要求人君躬身立教、忠信悅民、用賢納諫，明示好惡。並以時命、際遇為外王功業成就與否的終極關鍵。 其所謂仁義、忠信表面義界似十分紛歧，基本意涵其實相繫而牴牾。

The bamboo-slips, unearthed at Kuo-tien, belong to Confucian literature in nature. The chapters on “Hsing-tzu-ming-ch'u” and “Wu-hsing” foucs on the cultivation of the mind and nature. The chapter, “Yu-ts'ung,” consists of some radom comments. The remaining slips deal obviously with rulership, which places its emphasis on “honoring virtues and righteousness” as well as “clarifying human relationships” as the two essential tasks of a king. The emphasis is placed on the prionty of blood relations. Thus, the relationship between brothers comes before that between the husband and wife, so is the case of the father and the king. Thus, filial piety is considered prior to one's loyalty to the king.