Abstract: The representatives of ecological Marxism, William Leiss and Reiner Grundmann, present two different interpretation paths on the thought of "controlling nature" : the interpretation path of modernity criticism and the humanitarian interpretation path of Marxism. Leiss interprets the idea of "controlling nature" from the perspective of modernity criticism. He believes that "controlling nature" is a metaphor for the crisis of modernity in capitalist society, which is manifested in that the concept of controlling nature has become the ideology of capitalist society, the essence of controlling nature is the control of human beings, and science and technology have become the tools of controlling human beings. Grundmann's humanist interpretation of the idea of "controlling nature" is based on Marxism. He believes that "controlling nature" serves the interests and needs of human beings, which is reflected in that the effective controlling nature by human beings is the "humane possession" of nature, and the unity of "controlling nature" and environmental protection is essentially the unity of human interests and natural interests, and the presupposed purpose of "controlling nature" is whether it can improve human welfare and meet human needs. Leiss and Grundmann's two different interpretations of the thought of "controlling nature" not only deepen our understanding of the ecological problems of capitalist society, but also shed theoretical insights to the construction of ecological civilization in our country.