简帛《五行》篇的主旨思想是“贵心”，形成涵盖人的德性基础、成德路径、超越境界等方面的完整思想体系。两个版本的《五行》写作时间和内容虽有差异，但都可以视作孔子之后，《孟子》之前的思孟学派作品。《五行》为《孟子》理论的产生奠定了基础。

《五行》“贵心”思想认为仁、义、礼、智、圣“五行”内在于“心”，是成就德性的基础，肯定了“形于内”的“德之行”，否定了“不形于内”的“行”。在“五行”中，“圣”的地位具有特殊性，“圣”确立了人存在的终极目的，并不与仁义礼智“四行”相割裂而达到超越。

《五行》“贵心”思想认为“慎”与“独”有所区别，形成了身为心役的身心关系。《五行》以“德气”为兼具价值与物质、形式与质料的统一体，“德气”连结身心，将先天本具的德性动态实现出来。德性的实现由反思开始，到德性形显于外而结束，以向内反思作为成就德性的工夫修养方式。

《五行》认为，超越性的天道之德与人道之善有区别又有联系。超越境界在人格的具体表现称为“乐”。《五行》从由“忧”至“乐”、以“和”得“乐”、“乐”“德”合一三个角度，说明了“贵心”思想自由境界的内涵。

《五行》对《孟子》思想产生影响。在德性基础方面，《五行》的“端”影响《孟子》“四端”说的形成。孟子不以抽象的方式讲德性原则，而是认为德性内在于情感活动中，提出了德性本于内心，非由外铄。在成德路径方面，《孟子》受《五行》“身为心役”的影响，形成了以“大体”“小体”说为代表的身心关系。《孟子》继承《五行》以向内心反思作为成就德性的工夫论，认为“思”是本原意义的非对象之反思。受《五行》“德气说”影响，《孟子》形成以“气”论才、沟通身心的两种“气”，认为气并非纯粹的质料，而是有着德性价值作为内容，同时亦阐释了“养气”的工夫意涵。人格境界方面，《孟子》所论天人关系，可视作对《五行》“天德论”的延续。《孟子》亦强调对“闻而知之”和“见而知之”的区分，描绘了完整的圣道传承谱系，并以“乐”作为超越性的人格境界。

The main idea of Wuxing in bamboo slips and silk manuscripts is “Gui Xin”, which forms a complete thought system covering people's moral foundation, path to virtue and transcendence. Although the writing time and content of the two versions of Wuxing are different, they can be regarded as the text of Simeng School after Confucius’ time and before Mencius’ time. Wuxing laid the groundwork for the theory of Mencius.

In Wuxing, the thought of “Gui Xin” holds that five kinds of virtue--benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and sheng lie in the "heart" and are the basis for the achievement of virtue. In five kinds of virtue, the status of the "sheng" has its particularity. The “Sheng” has established the ultimate purpose of human existence, which leads people to achieve transcendence but is not separated from the benevolence, righteousness, rites and wisdom.

In the thought of “Gui Xin” of Wuxing, “Shen” is different from “Du”, and the thought of “Gui Xin” forms a mind-body relationship that body is ruled by the mind. Wuxing takes “the Qi of Virtue” as the unity of both value and material, form and substance. “The Qi of Virtue” connects body and mind, and realizes the inherent virtue dynamically. The realization of virtue begins with reflection, and ends with the external appearance.

Wuxing holds that the transcendent virtue of heaven’s Dao is different from and related to the humanities’ goodness. In personality, the concrete expression of transcending state is called “Le”. Wuxing explains the connotation of freedom realm in “Gui Xin” thought in three aspect--from “You” to “Le”, from “Harmony” to “Le” and the unity of “Le” and “Virtue”.

Wuxing influences the thought of Mencius. On the basis of virtue, the “Duan” of Wuxing influenced the formation of the “Si Duan” theory of Mencius. Mencius does not talk about the principle of virtue in an abstract way, but thinks that virtue lies in emotional activities. In terms of the method to achieve virtue, Mencius was influenced by Wuxing to form a mind-body relationship represented by the theory of “Da Ti” and “Xiao Ti”. Mencius inherits Wuxing’s theory that regards reflection from the heart as the kung fu theory of achieving virtue, and holds that “Si” is the reflection of non-object in the original meaning. Influenced by the theory of “the Qi of Virtue” in Wuxing, Mencius formed two kinds of “Qi”, one kind discusses talent, another communicates body and mind. It is believed that   Qi is not a kind of pure material, but has the value of virtue as the content. It also explains the meaning of “Nourishing Qi”. In the realm of personality, in Mencius, the relation between heaven and human discussed can be regarded as the continuation of the theory of heaven’s morality in Wuxing. Mencius also emphasizes the distinction between “knowing by hearing” and “knowing by seeing”, and it describes the complete lineage of the inheritance of the saints, and it regards “Le” as the transcendent personality realm.