《疏證》是根據字義的界定去詮釋孟子的義理，依此，本文分別就語法和思想二方面對此書進行探討。首先，戴震透過「之謂」和「謂之」的辨析，界定道就是陰陽五行，進而說：性就是血氣心知。這種字義的界定，存在著不必然性；其次，戴震將道落實在一陰一陽、人倫日用之上，並由此將道德實踐落在「我—你」的關係之中，此具有人人平等的精神；將道落在「我—他」的關係之中，則引發科學研究的興味；又將性放在血氣心知上說，把道德踐履落實在人的生理需求之上，因而強調經過踐履的終善說。 由於戴震在詮釋上的轉向，因而恢復了孟子的精神，甚至可說是孟子思想必然需要的發展。由此觀之，《疏證》所涵蘊的價值，正在於其詮釋上的轉向及其創造性的發展。

“Textual Criticism” (the abbreviation of “The Word Significance Textual Criticism of Book of Mencius”) was to interpret Mencius’ principles in accordance with the definition of meanings of words. The research makes exploration about it from the syntax and thought respectively. First of all, Tai, Chen defined that Taoism was Yin (feminine), Yang (masculine), and five elements (of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth) through the differentiation and analyses of “jhih-wei” and “wei-jhih,” and then proposed the idea that the temperament was the natural physiology. Such definition of a word’s significance was actually unnecessary. Secondly, Tai, Chen implemented the Taoism in Yin, Yang, human relations, and daily life, and hence practiced the morality in the relationship between “you and I” that was with the everyone-is-equal spirit; he carried out the Taoism in the relationship between “he/ she and I” that can give rise to the interests of scientific researches; then, he advocated the theory that the temperament was the natural physiology, consequently, he fulfilled the moral practice in people’s physiological requirements, and emphasized the eventual good nature theory that had been practiced. The Mencius’ spirit was restored because of Tai, Chen’s change on interpretation. It could even be called the inevitable and essential development of Mencius’ philosophy. Seeing from this, the value “Textual Criticism” contained was the change on interpretation and its creative development.