Investigation and research are the source of scientific knowledge of social reality and its laws of development. As a seminal work in social investigation and research, The Condition of the Working Class in England established the theoretical groundwork for Marxist approaches to social research. Engels transcended idealist perspectives through empirical research methods, laying an objective foundation for social inquiry; he employed historical dialectics to sublate the intuitiveness and one-sidedness of positivist studies, thereby revealing society’s inherent contradictions and developmental patterns; and through concrete class analysis, he penetrated the abstract moral narratives of utopian socialism, exposing the proletariat’s reality as the principal agent of social progress. This research approach-rooted in reality, critical of reality, and transcendent of reality-represents the conscious application of a dialectical materialist worldview and methodology, marking a fundamental transformation in social investigation and research methodologies. Engels’ approach to investigation and research not only provides a methodological foundation for the entire Party to vigorously promote investigation and research in the new era, but also offers significant insights and guidance for upholding a people-centered philosophy, identifying practical social issues in China through social surveys, and addressing the development challenges of the times. 

　　Editor: Zhong Yao  Wei Xiaoxue 

　　From:Inner Mongolia Social Sciences.2025.No.5.