Chen Feng is currently a professor of political science in HKBU, he sepcializes in Chinese labor issues.

Table of Contents

Preface

List of Tables

Abbreviations

Chapter 1. Introduction

The Role of Ideas/Ideology

Ideology versus Economic Development: The Goal Conflict

Alternative Explanations

Analytical Framework

The Fundamental Principles versus Instrumental Principles

The Fundamental-Instrumental Discrepancy and the Legitimacy Crisis

The Organization of This Book

Chapter 2. The Ownership System before the Reform: Its Rationale

The Dominance of Public Ownership: Its Rationale

The Ownership System in Pre-Reform China

Chapter 3. Theoretical Adjustments: The "Practice Criterion" and the "Criterion of Productive Forces"

Remodeling Mao Zedong Thought: Hua Guofeng's Failure

The Debate on the Criterion for Truth

The Practice Criterion and the Guiding Role of Marxism

The Practice Criterion versus the Political Criterion

The Primacy of Practice: Significance and Limitations

Revolution versus Production

The Criterion of Productive Forces

The Revival of Historical Materialism

The Criterion of Productive Forces and the Preliminary Stage of Socialism

The Criterion of Productive Forces and Capitalistic Practices

The Criterion of Productive Forces: Its Significance and Implications

Chapter 4. Agricultural Decollectivization

The Agricultural Ownership System: Performance and Problems

The Emergence of the Contract System and Ideological Controversy

Redefining the Contract System: Expedient Measures versus Alternatiave Organization

The Legitimization of the Individual Household Contract

The Long-Term Contract: Its Implications

The IHC and the Land System: The Search for New Alternatives

Predicament and Limitations: An Uncertain Future

Chapter 5. Reforming State Ownership

Problems of China's State Ownership before the Reform

State Ownership as an Issue of Management

State Ownership as an Issue of State-Enterprise Financial Relationships

State Ownership as an Issue of Separation of Ownership and Control

State Ownership: The Property Rights Problem

The Shareholding System

Chapter 6. Justifying the Private Economy

The Urban Individual Economy: An Initial Step toward Privatization

The Private Economy as a Supplement to Socialist Economy

The Private Economy as an Agent of Modernization

The Private Economy as an Alternative Economic Instituttion

Reconciling the Socialist System and a Private Economy: A Problem Unsettled

Chapter 7. The Distribution Issue in the Economic Reform

Egalitarianism: Theory and Practice

Rehabilitation of "To Each According to His Work"

The New Dimensions of Distributional Inequality in Rural Areas

The "Rich First" versus Common Prosperity

The Emergence of Urban Distributional Inequality

Justifying a Market-Driven Distribution of Income

The Conflict between Ideology and Practice: What are Its Solutions?

Chapter 8. Conclusion

Marxism and Underdeveloped Socialism

The Irreconcilability of the Fundamental-Instrumental Discrepancy under Communist Systems

The Fundamental-Instrumental Discrepancy and Ideological Transformation

Notes

Bibliography

Index