面對世界新形勢新問題,為了正確指導無產階級革命運動,批判對于唯物史觀的各種歪曲和攻擊,恩格斯晚年對于唯物史觀的方法論思想進行了突出強調和系統闡發。他精辟論述了歷史唯物論和歷史辯證法的辯證統一,經濟基礎和上層建筑的辯證統一,社會歷史的主體因素和客體因素的辯證統一,無產階級革命戰略目標和斗爭策略的辯證統一,深刻闡明了唯物史觀作為歷史觀、認識論和方法論的有機統一性,作為偉大認識工具和行動指南的科學性,豐富和發展了唯物史觀,為人們科學認識社會歷史問題提供了根本的方法論基礎,為無產階級政黨科學認識社會、能動改造社會提供了方法論原則,在今天仍然具有重大理論意義和實踐價值。

To deal with a new situation and new problems worldwide, to guide the proletarian revolutionary movement correctly,and to criticize all manner of distortions of and attacks on historical materialism,Engels in his later years emphasized and systematically expounded the methodology of historical materialism. He incisively discussed the dialectical unity between historical materialism and historical dialectics,the economic base and superstructure,subjective and objective factors of social history,and proletarian revolutionary strategic objectives and struggle strategies. Engels profoundly expounded the idea that historical materialism is the organic unity of the historical view,epistemology,and methodology,and that its scientificness is a great cognitive tool and guide for action. His work has great theoretical and practical significance,and still plays an important guiding role today.