This chapter revolves around Marx’s critique of religion, exploring the essence of religion in social reality and its impact on human consciousness. Through his critique of religion and feudal institutions, Marx examines man’s subjectivity and the issue of alienation. Inheriting the tradition of classical German philosophy, he criticizes the mechanistic views of old materialism, emphasizes man’s activity, and seeks to reconcile self-consciousness with substance, shifting toward the unity of human beings and their environment. By analyzing Epicurean philosophy and opinions from Bruno Bauer, Marx endows self-consciousness with activity, and emphasizes that practice serves as the intermediary that connects self-consciousness with reality. He views religion as the alienation of self-consciousness and advocates for the elimination of natural alienation through rational cognition. Additionally, he critiques Prussian censorship instruction, proposing that freedom of the press embodies freedom of thought and distinguishing between universal freedom and its specific forms. In his analysis of the law on thefts of wood, Marx exposes the anti-humanitarian nature of the interests of private owners, pointing out how laws, subservient to the interests of private owners, become tools of oppression. While these discussions do not entirely break free from idealism, they mark a trajectory from philosophical critique to engagement with real-world issues, laying the foundation for the materialist view of history.