Researching The Economics Thoughts In The Economics Works Published During The Republic Of China

The Republic of China is a historical period that has experienced upheavals with society transformation. It is also a period full of contradictions and conflicts which not only lead to social unrest, but also aroused intellectuals’ lofty sentiments of the national salvation. They, with high sense of responsibility and social conscience, tried to make the country rich and powerful through the academic theory pursuits, which brought about all schools of thoughts in the ideological and cultural circles. Therefore, it is not only a historical period of great society transformation but also an important period for the development of academic thoughts. In addition, due to the prosperity of the publishing industry then, a large number of economics works came out, which left us valuable legacy of economics thoughts.Economics works mirror the development level of economics systematically and completely. By researching and generalizing the economics works during the period of Republic of China, we can make up for the weak points in the study of economics thoughts of this period and have a whole picture of the development of economics and its general situation in this period. We can also have a profound understanding of the theoretical contributions of economics thoughts during this period, which, in particular, has great reference values and significance for the development and innovation of modern Chinese economics theory and for the construction of market economic system with Chinese characteristics.After literature review of economics works during this period, this thesis classified them as:works on economics theory, on world economy, on Chinese economy, on economic laws, on agricultural economy, on industrial economy, on finance, on banking accounting and on auditing. Representative works and authors of each category have been singled out for further research.The thesis tends to solve two key problems.In the aspect of economics theory, it dedicates to dissecting the emergence and the development of China’s modern economics and its characteristics by analyzing the various influences of the evolutions of economics theories abroad at that time, of the spread of Western economics theory and Marxist economics theory in China, and of the economics thoughts in ancient China. In the aspect of practice, economics scholars in the different periods of the Republic of China, had put forward the countermeasures to the various economic phenomena and problems that appeared in economic practice, and they also urged the government to formulate the corresponding economic policies on which this thesis will lay much emphases, thereby providing references for current economic construction in China.This thesis mainly consists of introduction, the body part and the concluding remarks. The introduction begins with the background and significance, the current research status of economics works during the Republic of China, research focus, research methodology, its contributions and its limitations. Chapter one focuses its attention on the historical background and sources of the emergence of economics works during the period of the Republic of China from such aspects as China’s social and economic background during this period, overseas students education and modern economics education and research, the spread and development of the western economics in China in the first half of the20th century. The second chapter makes a statistical analysis of economics works, the relevant translation versions and their authors during this period respectively and points out their research focuses and offers a whole picture of all the economics works.Chapter three studies mainly the works about the basics of western economics by selecting such works as Economics and Principles of Economics by Liu Bingling, Economics by Zhao Lanping, Introduction to Economics by Ma Yinchu, Principles of Economics by LI Quanshi and Principles of Economics by Pan Yuanlai. Chapter4studies the financial works published in this period with focus on the economics thoughts embodied in:The Pandect of Finance by Chen Qixiu, Yin Wenj ing’s Finance, Principles of Finance by Li Quanshi, Finance by Helian and Lirui, Financial History of the Republic of China and its continuations by Jia Shiyi.Chapter5focuses on industrial economy works written in this period, especially the economics thoughts in these works:Way of Industrialization in China by Wu Jingchao, The Problem of China’s Industrial Capital by Fang Xianting, The Industrialization and Industrial Construction in China by Liu Dajun, The theory of China’s Industrial Planning and The General Theory of China’s Industrialization by Gu Chunfan.The sixth chapter pays its attention to the works of agricultural economy written in this period. Special attention is paid to the economics thoughts in such works as: Agricultural Economics by Dong Shijin, The Common Sense of China’s Rural Economic by Xue Muqiao. The seventh chapter conducts researches on the works about International trade written in this period with special focus on the economics thoughts in works below:The Problem of China’s Customs written by Zhujin, Introduction to International Trade of China by Wu Yugan, China’s International Trade by He Binxian, Zhang Yushan’s Principles of International Trade, and The Industrialization and International Trade in China by Chu Baoyi.The concluding part makes a comprehensive survey of economics works published in the period of the Republic of China from such perspectives as their theoretic contributions, their historical influences, their insights and implications, and their historic limitations.