Social Justice Ideas during the Transitional Period in China －－ Perspectives in several areas
Name: Yan Wei-zheng Student ID: S08118
Research paper supervisor:Dr.Sekou Conde
Law School, Minzu University of China
2008-2009 Academic Year
Abstract：China is now in the transitional process from the Agrarian Society to the Industrial Society, from the Planned Economy to the Market Economy. The adjustment of the economy structure and the economic movement mechanism will certainly cause the adjustment of the pattern of interests. The benefits relationships between men, man and nature, men and society will re-differentiate and re-combine. In this process, people will certainly pay much attention to justice. To talk about the social justice is a wide topic that’s not easy to handle. Ab uno disce omnes, this paper takes several areas such as education, distribution, etc, to penetrate the justice ideas behind the phenomena. Some suggestions will also be given to improve the social justice ideas at present.
Key words: China; transitional period; social justice idea
I. Introduction
1. General introduction to the transitional period in China.
The transitional period is an academic term. It stands for the period during which the Chinese society transforms from the conventional society to the modern society, from the agricultural society to the industrial society, from the closed society to the open society.[1] Before this, it was the period in which the national ownership played a dominant role. The transformation followed the reform and opening-up in China since 1978. During this period, the planned economy system transforms into the market economy system. The whole nation is developing fast and produces large amount of social wealth. People live better than ever before. The social resources are distributed mainly by market and competition, but not totally, because it is still the transitional period. On the other hand, people need national macro-control. Absolute and radical equalitarianism is now abandoned and criticized.[2] The income gaps between different groups are getting bigger constantly. The society structure and the social ideas are changing too. The whole nation are forwarding into democratic politics from authoritarian politics, people are striving for more freedom and rights. The government is now under the people’s supervision. But some officials still hold the special privilege mentality. They ignore the laws, infringe upon the civil rights. This causes serious social conflict. Single culture type and ideology can’t rule the country any more. People are getting information from the whole world all day long. They can have kinds of believes they consider right. Polynary cultures and ideologies are forming in China. But there is no perfect and dominant values outlook system. People’s thoughts are in mass and easy to be abetted.
2. General status of the social justice during the transitional period in China.
(1) Liberate and develop the productive forces vigorously, abandoned the vulgar social justice idea based on poverty.
Marxism thinks that the social justice must take highly developed social productive forces as its foundation. “As long as it is in accordance with the mode of production, it is just. If it is in conflict with the mode of production, it is unjust.” Said Marx.[3] Since the reform and opening-up, our nation takes economic construction as its main task, liberate and develop the productive forces vigorously, the material wealth increased greatly. Until 2008, the GDP of China had reached 30.067 trillions dollars, increased by 9.0% than 2007. [4]China has come up to the third place in the world in terms of economic aggregate. People feel the society is getting richer and more just.
(2) Social mobility has transformed from semi-closed, semi-stagnant to orderly opening, opportunity equality is increasing.
Strict registered residence and supporting system restricted the normally social mobility, obstructed the social development and the formation of reasonable social justice ideas. Now, more and more migrant workers are entering into cities to earn their livings. Because of social mobility, people can get more survival and development opportunities than ever before.[5] Opportunity justice is becoming a behavioral orientation.
(3) Distribution of the social wealth has transformed from according to equalitarianism to according to contribution.
Since the reform and opening-up, our nation discarded the mode of equalitarian distribution and carried out the mode of distribution according to contribution. Mr. Jiang Zemin said: “We should……thereby improving the system under which distribution according to work is dominant and a variety of modes of distribution coexist. We should give priority to efficiency with due consideration to fairness, earnestly implementing the distribution policy while advocating the spirit of devotion and guarding against an excessive disparity in income while opposing equalitarianism.”[6] Mr. Hu Jintao said: “A proper balance will be struck between efficiency and equity in both primary distribution and redistribution, with particular emphasis on equity in redistribution……We will……break business monopolies, create equal opportunities, and overhaul income distribution practices with a view to gradually reversing the growing income disparity.”[7] The distribution system is gradually changing. This will affect the distribution justice idea.
(4) Gap between rich and poor is widening.
Gini coefficient in China was only 0.218 in 1981, but 0.47 in 2006. It had already exceeded the international warning line. In 1997, the per capita income of the highest income family is 4.22 times of the lowest, and it expanded to 5.78 in 2002.[8] The income gap between urban and rural residents in China is one the largest in the world. In 2005, the per capita disposable income is 13250 yuan while only 5944yuan in Guizhou.[9] The former is 1.27 times higher than the latter. The widening gap between rich and poor causes people’s distrust toward the social justice. It disturbs the former justice ideas formed in the equalitarianism and the Planned Economy. The “Mentality of Hating the Rich” is getting more and more serious.
(5) The social relocation power is weakening.
It is 30 years since the reform and opening-up, our GDP per capita has quadrupled, but there are still quite a lot of people are short of basic necessities for living. Until 2004, there were 26.1 million rural residents whose annual per capita income is less than 668 yuan and 49.77 million rural residents lived under the poverty line in China. The social security and welfare cost in 2004 only account for a proportion of 1.97% of the GDP, public education cost is 2.51%.[10] Now, how to work on the social relocation to solve the social security and welfare problems of the groups with difficulties is the core problem of the social justice.
3. An introduction to the social justice principles in the transitional period.
“The social justice principles in the transitional period including: (1) social equality; (2) distribution according to contribution; (3) compensation.”[11]
(1) Social equality.
This means same cases should be treated alike. The socialist public ownership offers a good condition to the social equality. In the socialist market economy, social equality can only be partial, and be realized to some extend. It allows the reasonable differences between the market subjects’ interests.[12] Specifically, it is performed as laws and political rights are equal to everyone. Everyone is equal in opportunity and competition in the market. To realize the equality, the society needs two prerequisites：One is the national macro-control over the market; another is that all market subjects should understand their interests correctly, and to combine economic and social benefits to pursuit their maximum interests.[13] Here are two perspectives: governmental and nongovernmental. The first is easy to get but the second is harder.
(2) Distribution according to contribution.
To distribute according to contribution means interest and contribution are in direct proportion, the less contribution, the less interest.[14] To distribute distinctly according to the contribution of everyone incarnates the concept of equality (especially the equal labor rights); on the other hand, it incarnates the concept of freedom and respects the different contributions of the individuals to the society. The social justice ideas in the socialist economy shouldn’t require the people to sacrifice and contribute blindly. People need to improve the system under which distribution according to work is dominant and a variety of modes of distribution coexist. A proper balance need to be struck between efficiency and equity in both primary distribution and redistribution, with particular emphasis on equity in redistribution.
(3) Compensation.
The fundamental requirement of the compensation principle is to use the surplus to compensate the insufficient.[15] The essence of socialism is to liberate and develop productive forces, eliminate exploitation and polarization, and ultimately achieve the goal of common prosperity. The policy of letting some people get better off earlier causes income gaps, education, medical care, etc. The socialist justice idea thinks that the nation should treat all citizens equally, not only to acknowledge the gap of the benefits distribution, but also to narrow the [...]
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