Civilian consciousness is the key to the heritage of Wang Dongya from Wang Xin zhai. The ground colour of Fan, Shen, Le, Xue, which is the most special ideal of Wang Dongya, is civilian consciousness. And the reflecting on himself and enjoying learning sumed up the hunt for enjoying everything of Kong Ying from the end of Ming dynasty. Through the practice of education for the general public and enjoying learning, he had made outstanding distribution to the construction of the traditional of Tai Zhou school in the heritage of civilian consciousness.
王东厓继承心斋之学的关键是对平民意识的把握,青少年时期确立的平民意识贯穿了东厓的一生。反身乐学是东厓思想中最有特色的内容之一,其底色也是平民意识。他的反身乐学思想将阳明、心斋的相关思想融为一体,并在此基础上进一步使“乐”本体化,从而发展出立基当下现实生活、充溢着活泼生机的平民儒学思想。一方面,东厓的反身乐学思想是对宋明以来“孔颜乐处”追寻的一个总结;另一方面,他的反身乐学思想又内在地彰显出平民意识走向,显示了明代中后期“以道觉民”的儒者“下行”路向的生命力。王东厓从具有强烈理想主义情怀的平民儒者生活出发,以自己富有吸引力的平民教育实践和乐学实践,阐扬心斋之学,在平民意识的传承及对平民儒者的接引方面,取得了很大成绩,为泰州学派平民儒学传统的建设做出了突出的贡献,就此而言,东厓思想自有拓展,绝非仅仅是形式上的“克承家学”。