董仲舒的天人相副學說包含人副天數、同類相動和天人感應三個逐步深 入的層面，是一個理性化的構造。人副天數是天人相副的學理基礎，其核心 原理為「可數者副數，不可數者副類」；同類相動乃對天人為何相副尤其是 「不可數者」為何「副類」的進一步論證，在將經驗認識上升到普遍規律的 同時，也將此規律的玄妙一併掃除；天人感應則是在前兩者基礎上，進一步 論證了天人之間的互感互通並非神意。天人相副最根本的内涵是人主與天相 副實現天下大治而成為聖人。

Dong ZhongshuJs notion of “resonance or mutual consistency between Heaven and humans” (tian ren xiangfU) represents a rational structure including three levels, namely “humans corresponding to the numerical regularities of Heaven” (ren fu tian shu), “things of the same kind activating one another” (tonglei xiangdong), and “resonance between Heaven and humans” (tian ren ganjing). The first one, “humans corresponding to the numerical regularities of Heaven”, is the very core of the “mutual consistency between Heaven and humans”; basically, it means that “in what may be numbered, there is numerical correspondence. In what may not be numbered, there is categorical correspondence.” The second one, “things of the same kind activating one another”, is a further proof of the “mutual consistency between Heaven and humans”; not only does it sublimate empirical knowledge into general laws, but also eliminates the mysterious nature of this law. The third one, “resonance between Heaven and humans”, argues on the basis of the former two levels that the “resonance between Heaven and humans” does not correspond to some sort of divine intention. The most fundamental connotation of the “mutual consistency between Heaven and humans” is nothing less than that the emperor, in correspondence with Heaven, should seek to achieve order in the world and eventually to become a sage.