As a classic concept in Russian formalism,defamiliarization has had a profound impact on literary research.Accompanying this influence is its evident tendency towards generalization,primarily manifested in its close association with psychology,philosophy,sociology,and so on.This reflects the theoretical inclusiveness of defamiliarization,but it also makes it a"hollow signifier"that loses its explanatory power.An analysis of this phenomenon requires delving into the philosophical level,exploring the philosophical basis behind its theory by analyzing the ontological construction of the defamiliarization theory.In fact,the theory of defamiliarization encompasses two dimensions:epistemology and ontology,giving it an inherent"inside/outside,""autonomous/heteronomous,"and"individual/society"dual orientation.Only by grasping the defamiliarization theory from these two dimensions can we understand the many possibilities it contains,and also more accurately understand the complex relationships between imagist thought and defamiliarization,between formalism and Marxism,and between Shklovsky and Brecht.