In the Introduction to the Critique of Political Economy, Marx vividly proposed the classic assertion that “The anatomy of man is a key to the anatomy of the ape”. Marx’s method of “thinking from the back” regards capitalist society as the research subject and reference coordinate,and carries out external reflection on precapitalist society. In terms of the specific speaking context and core interpretation framework of the text, Marx used this external reflection method to analyze capitalist society and strive to grasp the internal relation in the evolution and changes of human society’s historical forms. This method inherently contains the idea of “ understanding the past through the present”, as well as the dialectical implication that “the anatomy of man” cannot replace “the anatomy of the ape” and that “the anatomy of the ape” and “the anatomy of man” cannot be mutually negated. Marx’s method of “the anatomy of man is a key to the anatomy of the ape” provides the scientific epistemological guidance for tracing back to historical origins and seeking historical laws.

Editor: Zhong Yao、Zheng Yifan

From:Studies on Marxism.2023.No.3.