嚴遵繼承了老子"無為""自然"的概念,對其注入了新的內涵和解釋。他認為"無為"是"道之身體而天地之始",是"治之元""政教之元""成功之主"。他又認為"自然"是"性命之理",在實質的意義上提出了"性分"概念和"自然之驗"的說法。嚴遵還特別重視陰陽刑德理論和嗇道,認為它們是"無為""自然"概念在政治方法上的落實。他以"文武""賞罰"等推演了"刑德"概念,提出了"名實為紀,賞罰為綱"的口號,具有綜合名、法的思想特征。他又提出了"治國之道,生民之本,嗇為祖宗"的觀點,將嗇道看作是保護政治主體(人主)之形神生命的重要手段。同時,嚴遵還吸納了許多儒家元素,建立了政治人格系統和皇、帝、王、伯(霸)的歷史觀念,無疑具有綜合、折中的特點。

While inheriting Laozi’s concepts of non-action(wuwei)and self-so-ness(ziran),Yan Zun infused them with new connotations and interpretations.He paid close attention to the concept of non-action and regarded it as the body of the Dao,the beginning of Heaven and Earth,the initiation of governance,the primary factor in politics and religion,and also the determiner of success.Holding that self-so-ness was the inner truth of life,Yan essentially introduced the notions of the duty of human nature and the efficacy of self-so-ness.Yan emphasized both the theory of putting punishment and reward into practice according to yin-yang and the way of frugality,which were seen as the political implementation of the concepts of non-action and self-so-ness.He held that the way of ruling a country and the key to nurturing the people lied in frugality.By absorbing Confucian elements,Yan established a system of political integrity and of historical opinions about emperors,kings,and hegemons,making his thought display a characteristics of comprehensiveness and compromise.