Abstract: To define the concept of ecological civilization, there is a dispute between "Morphology Theory" and "Element Theory". The former regards ecological civilization as an independent new type of civilization, while the latter regards ecological civilization as a constituent element of any civilization. Recalling this academic debate, we find that there are still some unresolved problems in the "Morphology Theory", such as how to view the development trend of the "ecology +" of modern industrial civilization and how to understand the relevant official statements . It is also found that there is a tendency to generalize the concept of ecological civilization and weaken the basis of historical materialism in the "Element Theory". Based on this, from the perspective of strategic philosophy and combined with the overall layout of China's ecological civilization construction, a "strategic theory" is proposed, which holds that ecological civilization is a political strategy proposed by China under specific historical conditions to cope with the human ecological crisis and aiming to gradually promote the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. It is of great significance to make up for some deficiencies of the "Morphology Theory" and "Element Theory" and to scientifically grasp the concept of Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization.