莊子的養生思想雖然著重在為個體生命身陷世俗困囿的世人，提供身心安頓與精神的慰藉，並對身處政治網羅的士人指引出隨順與逍遙超拔的方法，但這種「獨與天地精神往來」的內在修養功夫，在中國哲學家思考的範固始終離不開政治問題之下，必然成為其後哲學家在
處理政治問題方面的主要養份。成書於前漢的《淮南子》無論在語辭、文風和思想內容方面都與莊子的思想相似，可見劉安及其門客十分熟悉《莊子》，甚至受它全面而深刻的影響。無論如何，《淮南子》的思考主線亦與政治密不可分，在與莊子政局氛圍截然不同，及黃老思想盛行的情況下，它如何改造莊子的養生思想，進而將之運用在政治上，這是本論文的主要目的。此種研究不僅可窺見莊子哲學在漢代的發展和演變，也可了解《淮南子》對《莊子》的取捨從達，及其有進於《莊子》者為何，同時可明瞭《淮南子》政治哲學的特色，和莊子思想的博大精深，及其對後世所引起的迴響，更可為莊子所言的「內聖外王」、「明於本數，係於末度」找到最佳的註腳。
Although Chuang Tsu's thought of cultivation focuses on providing different consolation , settlement and getting on one's pursuit for those who were fatigued, hard up and in straitened circumstances as well as pointing out a way about free and at leisure for scholars who were trapped into an awful political situation. The most manifest and strong power of each dynasty is politics undoubtly in Chinese history. It was a mutual problem which reflected by the intellectuals for a long time. Whenever they thought, spoke and acted, they felt that their interest and will were conflicted with the politics in their times. As a matter of fact, this kind of pressure came from the ruler's idea, manner and nature for governing his country. And these things were intimately related to his inner cultivation. Chuang Tsu's thought of cultivation had found a peaceful and free spiritual home for the intellectuals whose lives were under the control of their ruler. However, this kind of cultivate content of spiritual freedom and unrestrained will be re-interpreted and used due to the change of political situation, requests of the environment, and the scholarly atmosphere. This change is pretty obvious in 'Hwai Nan Tsu' Chuang Tsu's thought of cultivation was formed in a special political situation. But it changed after the Chin-Han dynasties. Under the different background of the political situation, 'Hwai Nan Tsu' had to re-interpret the Chuang Tsu' thought of cultivation and used it in politics. The paper aims at studying how did Hwai Nan Tsu use Chuang Tsu' thought of cultivation to develop what kind of new elements in order to use them to improve the monarchy as well as find out an ideal ruler in its times. Besides, it may make us understand some characters of Hwai Nan Tsu's philosphy of politics and how wide-ranging and profound Chuang Tsu's thought was.
