Abstract: The four-sentence doctrine is essence of Wang Yang-ming’s theory of conscience；interpretations and arguments have never stopped since it came into being. A study of the interpretations helps us learn about the changes of thoughts since ancient times. The ancients interpretations of the doctrine were mainly conducted within the realm of Confucianism；their world outlook and moral outlook were substantially coherent and their debates dwelt on the forms of expression，that is，the discussion over“accomplishment”and“ontology”.Modern scholars’interpretations show a pluralistic trend as their world outlook and moral outlook have changed tremendously. The modern interpretations can be classified as seven theories， namely: accomplishment theory，bi- tier theory，state of mind theory，organism theory or cosmology，negation theory，human desire theory，and cognitive theory.

Key words: Wang Yangming, four-sentence doctrine, conscience, interpretation