The Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 and The Holy Family are representative works of the early Marxism,both picturing "life" as an important concept.From a concept of economic and philosophy to a concept of social criticism,the founders of Marxism have experienced the process of understanding "life" from the emphasis on material production activities to exposure of the proletariat's widespread poverty life,from analysis of the alienation of "production life" to critique of "impersonal" life,from "means of life" to eliminating "impersonal living conditions".The history is the history of life development.Solving the problem of how to live happily is at the core of Marx and Engels's thoughts on life,which is of important theoretical value for China now.Entering a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics,understanding happy life from the perspective of opening up a new form of civilization can we accurately grasp the profound significance of the main contradictions and changes in modern China.