王夫之曾貶抑老子而服膺莊子，因莊子有「逍遙說」以顯「兩行」之用。值得一提的，是他在闡釋莊子「逍遙義」時，並不從表象的鯤鵬與鷃鳩之逍遙，來評斷優劣所得，而是透過一種返體開用的工夫，拈出「神凝」的概念，以詮釋莊子的「逍遙義」。此「神凝」工夫，類似莊子所倡的「坐忘」、「心齋」，亦即必須透過精神的修養工夫，達到一種無目的性的爲出乎無爲之返「體」心境，方有開出逍遙之「用」的可能。因此，若能以「神凝」返體，則「有爲之用」可稱逍遙，「無爲之用」亦可稱逍遙。而所謂的「有爲之用」，即在現實出仕時，能德澤萬物而無所用心，此「用」王夫之其實是滲入了孟子「過化存神」的思維，來讓應世濟民合理化。不過，當出仕之途受阻時，亦不刻意強求，如果過度強求，則不免遭到環境所限，而使心靈無法活轉，如此一來雖有壯志於胸，然其患卻反倍於小也。故而此時若能自適其性遊於江湖，以著書立說傳世，則反能得其自在無礙，如此便是所謂「無爲之用」。此論雖融攝了郭象的「適性逍遙」之說，卻也融入了王夫之所增益的「習」之成分，來讓「無爲逍遙」不致被誤解爲任性而行。總之，王夫之之所以要架構出「返體開用」的思維詮解「逍遙」，與其說他是以辯證法來解讀莊子，倒不如說他是融攝了儒道思維，在其報效朝廷無門之際，爲自身的出處進退作一協調來得恰當。

Owing to Zhuang Zi's "Xiao-Yao-shuo", which emphasized "Liang-Xing", Wang Fu-Zhi belittled Lao-Zi and followed to Zhuang Zi. One thing worth to note, while he explained Zhuang Zi's "The acceptation of "Xiao-Yao", he did not judge the concepts of "Xiao-Yao" from Kun-Peng and Yan-Jiu, but illustrated the ideas of "Shen-Ning", which was derived from the means of "returned noumenon to amount purpose" to introduce Zhuang Zi's "Xiao-Yao". "Shen-Ning", which is similar to the concept of Zhuang Zi's "Zuo-Wang" and "Xin-Zhai", emphasized spiritually practice for reaching the level of endless mindset "Ti" and liberate the possibility of "Yong". As such, if one can return to "Shen-Ning", both of "You-Wei-Zhi-Yong" and "Wu-Wei-Zhi-Yong" can be accepted as "Xiao-Yao". "You-Wei-Zhi-Yong" is a thought of endless mindset to love every thing in all without any purposes. And Wang Fu-Zhi used Meng Zi's theory of "Guo-Hua-Cun-Shen" to make endless mindset more practical. On the other hand, when one is in the society, the endless mindset needs to be reminded. Or, one who has enthusiastic mind will also be trapped by the surroundings and troublesome comes there after. "Wu-Wei-Zhi-Yong" can come true via the practice of endless mindset anywhere and footnoted. Combined with Kuo Xian's "Shi-Xing-Xiao-Ya" and Wang Fu-Zhi's "Xi", "Wu-Wei-Xiao-Yao" will not be misunderstand as crankiness like. All in all, not only Wang Fu-zhi structures the concept of "returned noumenon to amount purpose" to introduce "Xiao-Tao" but also he verdicts Zhung Zi as comparisons. The truth is that he has used Confucianism to balance himself when no chance found to work in the imperial government.