Humans and Nature respond to each other. This theory was put forward by Dong Zhongshu (179-104BC) , who had inherited his predecessors’ thinking and believed that things of similar nature could respond to each other. According to him, humans are a duplication of Nature, therefore they respond to each other. Changes of Nature will affect human beings and their activities. Human actions and words, as well as the order or disorder of human society are reflected in Nature by astronomical signs. If the ruler of a state has said or done something treacherous, calamity or unnatural phenomenon may occur to reflect this. Dong Zhongshu, with this theory as his basis, tried to persuade the ruler to govern virtuously by citing historical calamities or unnatural phenomena.

There are cloudy days, there are sunny days. Similarly, a person can be in high spirit or become crest fallen. When a miasma arises in Nature, people, influenced by such an unhealthy air, will also have sadness growing inside him. For the same reason, when people are overcome by grief, a miasma, triggered by such grief, will rise in Nature. (Dong Zhongshu: Luxuriant Gems of The Spring and Autumn Annals)