From The Traditional Socialist Model With Chinese Characteristics Socialism

It is already over 80 years since former Soviet Union built the first socialist country. During this historical course, socialist system has ever demonstrated its superiorities, which enabled the countries whose production force was then relatively backward to quickly get rid of economic backwardness and catch up with and surpass those developed capitalist countries in many fields. As a whole, the difference between socialist countries and the veteran capitalist countries in the West was once narrowed. The flourishing age of socialism was just the beginning of traditional socialism entering deep crisis. The magnificence that was in vogue convinced the leaders of communist countries that socialism might really be able to surmount "the Defeat at the Caudine Forks" and that socialism didn't have to learn from capitalism or enjoy the advanced fruits of capitalism. As a result, they could not grasp the changes of situation after the Second World War and had to engage themselves in socialist construction in a closed and semi-closed state. This situation blocked people's vision, making them unable to see the flaws of the traditional system on a fundamental basis. Consequently, the 1950s saw the exposure of the severe defects of traditional socialist pattern. The 1980s finally witnessed radical changes of former Soviet Union and East Europe. Socialist movement has met setbacks on a larger scale. There is doubt and shake about building socialism in backward countries among theoretical circles and some countries.When history is progressing till this day, one problem, which is believed to have been solved, is now in front of us: "What is socialism like? How should we build socialism?" At this crucial moment, in China, the second generation of leadership of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Deng Xiaoping as the representative summarized the experience and lesson in the world and China's revolutionary construction. With the theoretical courage of Marxist theory of advancing with the times, they emancipated their mind, courageously put their theory into practice, transformed their cognition of socialism, and explored the direction of socialist reform.Gradually they have opened up the socialist road with Chinese characteristics. Along this road, China has spent 27 magnificent years, basically completing the transformation from traditional socialist pattern to the socialism with Chinese characteristics and preliminarily building physical, political and social civilization of socialism. In 2003, China's GDP per capita exceeded US$ 1000. The Chinese people are marching towards a new goal, US$ 3000. Just at this moment, from a perspective of strategy and long-term development, the Communist Party of China put forward a new goal, i.e., building a harmonious society of socialism. The advance of the new goal not only summarizes the 55 years of socialist practice in China, but marks the pursuit of socialist ideal as well. In addition, the important "Three Represents" thought, idea of scientific development and the Party's governing law all express the new recognition of the Party on issues such as what is socialism and how to build socialism and demonstrate the theoretical quality of Marxist theory of advancing with the times as well as the fresh and vigorous vitality of socialism. The present thesis aims, on the basis of absorbing academic theories and reflecting socialist construction practice, to make a further and deep description and analysis of the great progress of China's transformation from traditional socialist pattern to socialism with Chinese characteristics and .further interpret and argue for the rationality of the second revolutionized change of China's society. For this reason, the author believes that when the great change is in a crucial moment, it is still of theoretical significance and realistic value to deepen the thinking of this transformation.The controversy about Stalin's pattern in the academic circle began in the 1950s. Since 1980s, there have been numerous works and articles studying this pattern both in the eastern and western academic worlds. However, in the previous study, the scholars from different stands held quite opposite view on Stalin's pattern. These views ran foul of each other in an intense way. These studies, in reality, were much influenced by the political situation and failed to evaluate Stalin's pattern in an objective and all-round way. As a consequence, they are not conducive to summarizing the experience and lesson of the world socialist movement. 50 years has passed. The evaluation of Stalin's pattern has broken the fence of superstition orhatred and entered a phase of rational analysis.Quite a few theoretical scholars in China combine the reflection of traditional pattern with the analysis of realistic issues and mastery of future trend, demonstrating a more mature theoretical quality. The book, In-depth Consideration about the Destiny and Prospect of China's Economy, written by Zhou Tianyong and published by the Press of Party School of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China in 2001, is a prominent representative. On the basis of reflecting the traditional socialist pattern, Zhou Tianyong conducts a deep analysis and consideration from the perspective of economics of the retracking of China's socialist pattern, challenges it faces, existing problems and trend of changes and puts forward specific measures and suggestions on how to solve the problems that affect China's stability and sustainable and healthy development of economy. This is Marxist attitude of seeking truth from facts.I chose the topic From Traditional Socialist Pattern to Socialism with Chinese Characteristics as the subject of my thesis, trying, with Marxist methodology, making a comparison between international countries and China and using historical and dynamic approach, to elaborate on the process in which China has transformed from a traditional pattern to a new view of socialism. The thesis is characterized by making full use of the method of comparative analysis, approach of system analysis, close combination of general and individual, history and reality. The reflection of traditional socialist pattern is based on the research achievements of the predecessors. The thesis only gives an overall review and generalized analysis of the traditional pattern. It lays emphasis on the reality. Through recognizing the exploration of socialism from planned system to market-oriented economy, the thesis reveals the foundation for Deng Xiaoping's theory on modernized construction of socialist economy, politics and cultural thought and its practice, and the historical trend of choosing socialism with Chinese characteristics. Historical speculation and realistic consideration will guide readers to have a good understanding and grasp of the spiritual essence of Marxism, Mao Zedong thought and Deng Xiaoping theory, whose exploration and development of socialism are in the same strain;to combine Marxism with the deepobservation of contemporary world to build a world foresight;to integrate Marxism with the deep analysis of China's reform and development to form strategic thinking capability so as to further emancipate the minds, strengthen our conviction, stick firmly to the socialist direction and that of reform and development, forge ahead with the construction of socialist modernization and the civilization and progress of China's society in an all-round way.The thesis falls into three parts: In the first part, based on historical facts, the thesis reviews and reflects the basic characteristics of traditional socialist pattern in an all-round manner, briefly investigates its background and theoretical basis of formation and explains the historical trend of traditional socialist pattern, its flaws and setbacks. This includes a brief review of China's exploration of socialist road under the traditional pattern, reveals the historical limitation of exploring socialism during this stage, cause of mistakes and theoretical issues that need specifying, and then demonstrate that it is the experience foundation for the formation of China's new view on socialism and the establishment of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The second part attempts to elaborate on the necessity of restoring Marxist theory to its "original meaning" under the current historical condition, the necessity of recognizing the essence of socialism and seek correct idea and support in economic theory for China's socialist reform in connection with a brief analysis of the economics under planned economic system. Meanwhile, from the reform of other socialist countries, I try to find helpful experience and salutary lessons so as to prove the correctness of choosing socialist reform with market orientation. The third part focuses on reviewing the exploration of China's reform of economic system and explaining that China's reform is a process from a stage without much experience to a mature, conscious and rational stage with definite goal and appropriate measures. By exposing the contradictions during the reform, the thesis expounds that the establishment of socialist economic system not only provides a material foundation for social changes, but also makes inner requirements for forging ahead with the overall progress of the society and opens up a broader sight. Building a nice market-oriented economy, sound politics and good society is what socialism should bear meaning. In addition, theconclusion of the thesis brings out the theme again, explaining that the transformation from traditional economic pattern to market-oriented pattern is not only the choice of socialism based on the objective fact and current world development, but also the choice of Marxism. Deng Xiaoping theory, formed during China's reform and opening to the outside world, is innovative in that it is identical to the fundamental principles of Marxism and the scientific spirit of Mao Zedong thought. It is the extension and development of Marxism. It has the vitality that is able to penetrate time and space. Guided by the enriched and extended Marxism, socialism will surely be promising.In a word, socialist ideal is human's dream. Socialist cause is a historical progressive cause. And the victory of socialism lies in the realization of socialist goals. However this is an arduous and long process. It needs a most arduous and constant struggle of those who believe in Marxism across the world. During this process, it is necessary to summarize the experience and lessons in different stages of socialist construction and to use and absorb all the advanced, scientific and civilized achievements of the capitalist world. Deep reflection and scientific criticism will help to find the obstacles that block the process of socialist construction, confirm all scientific and reasonable elements and discard all non-scientific and pseudoscientific Utopian elements, forge ahead with socialist construction and social progress and development with the theoretical courage of Marxist advancing with the times.