Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 11, 2025

The Construction of a Chinese Theory of Justice: Cultural Roots, Social Foundations, and Fundamental Issues

(Abstract)

Wang Xinsheng

The construction of a Chinese theory of justice is not only a theoretical necessity of the rapidly developing discipline of political philosophy but also an urgent practical requirement for building a socialist market economy and a rule-of-law society. The divergent cultural roots and historical trajectories between China and the West have produced two distinct paths to modernization, leading not only to differing values in their conceptions of justice but also to different theoretical and practical paradigms. China’s modernization beginning in the modern era provides the social foundation for understanding the different conceptions of justice. The fundamental distinctions between socialist and capitalist market economies determine the divergence of their respective concepts and practices of justice. Developing a theory of justice compatible with the socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics requires grounding it in the practice of Chinese modernization, guided by Marxist scientific methodology, drawing from China’s rich traditional cultural resources, and conducting systematic research on issues centered on the principle of desert justice, thereby establishing a Chinese theoretical and discursive system of justice.