Abstract: The significance of the heated discussion about humanism and alienation in 1980s in the history of contemporary Chinese thought lies in that it is a key step to establish the value ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics. First, it functions as a theoretical stage to recognize clearly the value ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics; second, it helps to take the overall development of human beings as the basic principle of contemporary Chinese Marxism. The two papers written by Zhou Yang and Hu Qiaomu respectively are important historical texts for examining this heated discussion.