Abstract: From the standard of practice, to the standard of productivity and to the standard of “three benefits”, Deng Xiaoping gradually established the guiding function of the materialism in constructing socialism with Chinese characteristics.To construct socialist harmonious society is the concrete application of materialism in the contemporary China.This paper elaborates the current significance of materialism in the construction of the socialist harmonious society from four angles:1.to cling to the value conception of people first;2.to develop productivity so as continuously to meet people’s material cultural and living demands;3.to correctly handle the relationships between man and nature;4.to stick to historical developing dialectics.

Key words: materialism, socialist harmonious society, people first