The theory of alienation has a profound philosophical tradition. It was used by Rousseau to criticize the deviation of civilized society from the state of nature, and was transformed into the “creation” link of spirit by Hegel’s speculative philosophy.It is implemented by Feuerbach’s humanism in criticizing religion’s obliteration of the class essence. The theoretical dilemma of the alienation theory is reflected in the “logic first” methodology and the “alienated historical view” that is divorced from social reality.The young Marx put forward the alienated labor theory under the influence of traditional philosophy, and his views on labor, humanities and history also showed the above symptoms. Therefore, the key link in the transformation of Marx’s philosophy is to abandon the logic of alienation theory and generate historical materialism. In terms of methodology, historical materialism dispels the alienation theory of “logic first” by analyzing comprehensive production under specific historical conditions and individuals in reality, and demonstrates the principle of the unity of logic and history.From the perspective of history, basing on the ownership and class differentiation caused by the division of labor, historical materialism reveals the origin of alienation from the dimension of the interaction between productivity and forms of communication, and then explores the path to eliminate alienation and achieve freedom, realizing the shift in perspective from “viewing history through alienation” to “resolving alienation through history”.

　　Editor: Zhong Yao Liu Tingting

　　From: Studies on Marxist Theory in Higher Education.2023.No.9.