儒家对于慎独思想历来都极为重视，后人对慎独亦有众多阐释。自郑玄将慎独解释为“慎其闲居之所为”的修养工夫，到明末刘蕺山将“独”上升至“独者位天地，育万物之柁牙也”的本体高度并据此发展成为系统的慎独学说，再到后人认为郑玄所释慎独有误并对其误区进行的破解，以及到马王堆汉墓帛书《五行》篇出土后，人们对于慎独思想研究热情的又一次高涨并由此而产生的众多研究成果，这些使我们对于慎独思想的认识一步步得以深入。从《礼器》、《大学》、《中庸》、《荀子》对于慎独工夫修养义的阐发，再到马王堆汉墓帛书《五行》篇出土后，对慎独思想心性本体义的展现，使我们看到了“慎独”在儒家思想系统中的基础性地位，它一方面从人心本原处为儒家这一心性之学奠定了基础，另一方面从工夫修养的角度为儒家内圣外王之学打下了根基，从慎独修身、达到齐家、治国、平天下的外王事功，进而下学而上达合于天命。在现代社会中，以道德自律、德性养成为中心的生命路向在现代性的狂欢中渐罕人迹，“慎独”说可能会成为解决现代生存困境的一种有效资源。

Confucian always attached great importance to “being treasure oneself in solitude”(shen du), there were many elaborate of it among the subsequent scholars. From Zheng Xuan interpreted “shen du” as take attention to one′s behavior when was alone, to Liu Jishan of the later Ming dynasty promoted “du” to ontology level as the major role, which can let “tian di” perform their own position and cultivated all things, then developed his systematic theory of “shen du”. Then someone thought that there are inappropriate aspects in Zhen Xuan′ s explanation of “shen du”, and corrected his mistakes. And after the discover of Wu Xing, scholars′ enthusiasm of “shen du” upsurged again, in addition , brought in many achievements. All of them let us recognize “shen du” in a deeper level. From the explaination of “shen du” in the respect of cultivation efforts in Li Qi, The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, Xun Zi, to the elaborate of “shen du” in the respect of mind ontology, which after the discover of Wu Xing. So the basic status of Confucian ideological system of “shen du” was reflected. On the one hand, “shen du” lay the foundation for Confucian mind knowledge, on the other hand , “shen du” was the foundation of Confucian cultivation efforts knowledge. Currently, Moral self-cultivation of people is lower and lower , “shen du ”maybe can take a solution to this Phenomenon.