ABSTRACT
Mao’s economic doctrine is interpreted in a broad political-economic context, and the assessment is concentrated primarily on Mao Zedong’s expressed goals for the Chinese economy, the methods he advocated for achieving those goals, and the discernible impact of his policies on the economic development of the People’s Republic of China. Although Mao considered himself a Marxist, his concepts of revolution, class relations, social transformation, and economic reconstruction were primarily derived from V. I. Lenin’s writings rather than from those of Marx. The essence of Mao’s economic thought is embodied in his vision of “Communist man” in contrast to the “economic man” concept of classical economic theory. In Mao’s view, man, not the machine, was the most powerful factor shaping economic development. The divergent views of Maoists and their opponents on class struggle, incentives, and the path to modernization underlie the serious internal tensions and struggles that have characterized the Chinese Communist Party since 1949.
