The paper Theory of Socialist Income Distribution authored by Professor Yang Canming, President of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and Director of the Innovation and Wisdom Introduction Base of the Discipline of Income Distribution and Public Finance, was recently published in the top journal Economic Research, Issue 3, 2022. Starting from Marx's theory of income distribution and based on Chinese practice, this article focuses on the establishment and development of a socialist theoretical system of income distribution.
Professor Yang Canming, President of ZUEL and Director of IIDPF
This paper suggests that socialist income distribution theory is rooted in Marxist income distribution theory and has coalesced with Chinese characteristics in the process of development, forming a theoretical system supported by the three basic economic systems, structured by three distribution systems and taking into account multidimensional factors such as wealth, ability and social mobility. In particular, the views are as follows: 1) the theory of labour value and the theory of surplus value are the core of the Marxist theory of income distribution and the basis of the socialist theory of distribution; 2) China's three basic economic systems fundamentally lay down the overall pattern of national income distribution and together constitute the most essential core of the socialist theory of income distribution; 3) with the continuous development of the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the gradual formation of relatively perfect three distribution systems, which are the core elements of China's income distribution system; 4) The socialist theory of income distribution is a dynamic development theory, and as the factors affecting income distribution become more and more complex, it is important to include wealth, ability and social mobility in the overall planning of solving the income distribution problem.
The achievement of fair income distribution is not only a basic requirement of socialism, but also an important driving force in promoting socialism to a higher level of development and ultimately realising communism. It is therefore of great theoretical and practical importance to construct a theory of income distribution that meets the national conditions of China and adapts to the requirements of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In the actual study and solution of the income distribution problem, it is necessary to use a dialectical way of thinking and a developmental perspective to plan and make good use of the philosophical viewpoint that "everything in the world is connected" to grasp the social impact of income distribution from a holistic perspective, so as to better understand the essence of the distribution problem and thus promote the realisation of social justice.
