陳淳，字安卿，號北溪，朱熹紹熙元年（1190）任漳州知府，陳淳入於門下，朱熹先指點“根原”，後又提醒“下學”，傳授達於性天的日用之學，道德既是日常中驗之有得的結果，也是於義理當中詳審分判得來，以道與學爲核心，道以顯學，學以入道，從而體現學術完整架構。朱熹與陸象山鵝湖之辯，朱熹採取含容兼取立場，陳淳則勇於與辯，同樣言“心”，陳淳依從朱學思考，“心”之所在，由根原而達於下學，理氣一貫。四書作爲朱學要籍乃是朱門共識，然而陳淳以《近思録》作爲四書楷梯，乃是重申朱熹學術承濂洛之淵源而達於洙泗之正學，四書意義於兹而顯，盡其精微之思，成爲《四書大全》援以印證朱學地位材料，轉爲彰顯朱注價值、深化工夫内涵，擴大性命之教的詮釋内容，對於朱學地位確立，饒有推進作用。

Chen Chun, named Anqing, also known as Beixi, served as the prefect of Zhangzhou in the first year of Shaoxi (1190) and became a disciple of Zhu Xi. In the study of knowledge, morality is not only the result of daily experience, but also the result of detailed judgment and the study of right or wrong. With the “Tao” and learning as the centre of fucus, The “Tao” invovles learning, and learning leads to the “Tao”, So they complement each other. In the Ehu debate between Zhu Xi and Lu Xiangshan, Zhu Xi based himself on a number of logical arguments, while Chen Chun was brave enough to use Lu Xiangshan's word “heart” in support of Zhu Xi. It is the consensus of Zhu Xi and his students that The Four Books are the main books of the Zhu School. However, Chen Chun uses Jin Si Lu as the basis of The Four Books in order to stress that Zhu Xi's school directly follows Lianluo and Zhu Si. This shows the significance of the Four Books. And it is obvious that, because of its subtle argument, the Four Books has become the basis of the Ming Dynasty's Encyclopedia of Four Books, and confirmed the status of the Zhu School, and the way of doing research and interpretation.