A Study On Mao Zedong’s Social Security Thoughts After The Founding Of The P.R.C.

Those who lived in Chairman Mao’s Era were all deeply impressed by land reform,people’s deliverance and liberation, barefoot doctors, village primary schools, adultliteracy classes, five guaranteed household, elimination of the four pests, harness ofHuaihe River and the eradication of schistosomiasis. They were all familiar with theGreat Leap Forward, Public Canteen, Long-term starvation, Ideological struggle andfrequent political movements. However, whatever the attitude we hold, none of us candeny the fact that Mao Zedong’s era is an era of exploration, a special era and also agreat era. We have to admit the fact that Mao Zedong’s era leaves us too much things todigest and there is a certain deep ideal under the historical restriction in this seeminglypure pursuits. Thus, we should hold a prudent and reasonable attitude towards the studyand evaluation of Mao Zedong’s thought of social security. Under the guidance of thisattitude, this paper makes a systematic research on the Mao Zedong’s social securitythoughts, which can be used as reference for establishing contemporary Chinese socialsecurity system with it’s own characteristic.In the first chapter, the introduction part firstly introduces the significance of thisarticle through the analysis of theoretical significance and practical value. Secondly,making a brief analysis of current studies both home and abroad, and in the last sectionof this chapter, making an analysis of the basic ideas and research methods of this paperon the theme of Mao Zedong’s social security thoughts and its practice after thefounding of the P.R.C.The second chapter mainly introduces the theoretical origin and the historicalbackgrounds of Mao Zedong’s social security thoughts after the founding of the P.R.C.Through literature study, we make an analysis of the influence of Marx-Engels’s thoughtof social security, the social security thought of Lenin and traditional Chinese socialsecurity thought on the formation of Mao Zedong’s social security thoughts after thefounding of the P.R.C. What’s more, the paper discusses the constraints on the thoughtsof Mao Zedong’s social security through the social security policy formulates duringCPC Soviet regime times, the social security work experiences during the former SovietUnion times and the grim situation confronted by New China in the early days of therepublic. The third chapter discusses the main contents and practices of Mao Zedong’s socialsecurity thoughts after the founding of the P.R.C. Mao’s thought of social security wasmainly formed in the period of the Revolution. Although the armed struggle is the maintheme before the founding of the new China, Mao accords protecting the interests of theChinese people a position of equal importance to that of armed struggle. However,during the Revolution period, the social security was just focused on the medical andsocial relief. After the establishment of new China, the social security’s scope waswidened to embrace social welfare and social special care, and began to build arelatively perfect social security system which eventually forms Mao Zedong’s socialsecurity thoughts including the social insurance,social relief, social welfare, and socialspecial care.The fourth chapter analyses the basic characteristics and historical influence ofMao Zedong’s social security thoughts and its practice after the founding of the P.R.C.This chapter first summarizes the characteristics of Mao’s thought of social security:emphasizing the main responsibility should shouldered by country, improving people’sliving standard on the basis of economic development, protecting the interests of peopleas the nature of social security and focusing on organization through the cooperation tomeet the characteristics of social security. And therefore put forward the main value ofMao’s thought of social security is to pursue fairness doctrine, egalitarianism andcollectivism. Finally, this chapter makes an analysis of the historical role of Mao’sthought of social security through the improvement of consolidating the new regime, therecovery and development of the national economy and the people’s living standard.The fifth chapter carries on a reconsideration and exploration towards MaoZedong’s social security thoughts after the founding of the P.R.C. In this chapter, themain limitation of Mao Zedong’s thought of social security are as follows: the conceptof social security value is a single comparison; the equalitarianism color is too strong;the narrow range of the social security; the unbalanced development of the rural andurban; the control of the state is too tight; complete ignorance of the role of marketregulation in the social security; the color of social security tool is too prominent; thelack of stability in the social security system construction; partial negation rational ofsocial system in western developed countries and the lack of a reasonable reference etc.And the practical significance of Mao’s thought of social security lies in: Mao Zedong’sthought of social security is the inheritance, richness and development of the ideologicaland theoretical system of Marx’s, it is still the guiding ideology of the contemporary construction for Chinese social security system with it’s own characteristic; MaoZedong’s thought of social security is a “reasonable, moderate” ideology which is stillan important guiding principle; Mao Zedong’s esteem for fairness and justice, andpeople-oriented is still the starting point of our practical work.As Zheng Gongcheng said“There is no doubt, in the history of the development ofthe world social security, China’s social security reform can be a great reform practice,not only had never had such a comprehensive reform, and then will not see such acomprehensive and profound social security reform.” From this, Mao’s era practice hasbecome our precious resource.