A Study Of Mao Zedong's Equal Thoughts

Mao Zedong was most concerned to realize equality when establishing the socialism, who formed the idea of socialist equality on the basis of historic study and practices. Political equality is the important and necessary part of Mao Zedong's socialist equal thoughts. To realize political equality, a new social system must be established in which people play the roles of the masters. On the basis of people's democratic dictatorship, democracy must be developed so as to ensure people the democratic and political rights by means of enhancing the establishment of socialist democratic politics, opposing bureaucracy and developing the equal relationship among people. Economic equality is the key of Mao Zedong's socialist equal thoughts. Firstly, Mao Zedong was devoted to establishing socialist ownership by reforming the economic base. He held that people's commune was the best organization serving the establishment of socialism as well as the transition to communism, which would develop into the basic unit of communist society. Secondly, Mao Zedong implemented the socialist mode of distribution. Mao Zedong initially adhered to the principle of distribution according to work, but failed to carry it out consistently and thoroughly owing to his concern that the different payment according to labor would result in inequality again. Therefore, he criticized this principle of distribution for its characteristic of bourgeoisie, hence departed from the line of economic equality. Thirdly, Mao Zedong advocated the elimination of the wide gap between the rich and the poor. Along with pursuing the ideas of political and economic equality, Mao Zedong advocated social equality by eliminating the differences resulting from the divisions of labor, so that people would share equal rights on various fields such as culture, education, medical treatment, social security system and so on.Mao Zedong's socialist equal thoughts are significant. Firstly, his persistent pursuit of the ideal of the equality charted the course of China's development. Secondly, the establishment of new production relation based on the public ownership of means of production abolished the system of exploitation man by man thoroughly. Thirdly, Mao Zedong's view that people play the roles of masters and his opposition to bureaucracy contributed to the improvement of people's social status. Mao Zedong's study and practices of socialist equality was not successful owing to some factors both objective and subjective. His misunderstanding of the structure of socialist ownership accounted for the monotony of the socialist ownership. His misinterpretation of bourgeoisie rights led to his denial of the principle of distribution according to work, which resulted in the tendency of equalitarian. He paid so much attention to equality that he ignored raising the efficiency.