Hu Jichuang the author is a well-known scholar engaged in historical research on Chinas economic thoughr Divided inro three sections the book rells how Chinas economic thought developed over the three thousand years prior to the May Fourth Movement in 1919 The frst section deals with economic thought in the pre-Qin period （eleventh century to second century B.C.)the second with economic thourght in the early days of the feudal landlord economy (second century B.C to ninth cenrury A.D)the third with the later days of the feudal landlord economy and the semi-feudal and semi-colonial period (tenth century to 1919).
    The books illuminating facts and profound analysis reveal the noteworthy achievemeurs in ancient Chinal economic thought it its due in the history of world economic thought.
    The book translared into English by the author himself is published particularly for anyone doing research in ancient Chinas economic thought.

目录

PREFACE
PART ONE ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF THE PRE-QIN PERIOD--BEFORE THE FOUNDING OF THE QIN DYNASTY IN 221 B.C.
CHAPTER ONE ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF THE WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY (1066-771 B.C.)
Section I Wealth
Section II Agricultural Production
Section III Handicrafts and Trade
Section IV Markets
Section V Prices and Usury
Section VI Fiscal Policy
Supplementary Note--The Fiscal Viewpoint of "The Tribute System of Yu"
CHAPTER TWO ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF SOME STATESMEN OF THE SPRING AND AUTUMN PERIOD
Section I Guan Zhong on the Social Division of Occupations
Section II San Oi's Balance Theory of Money
Section III Fan Li on Commerce and Trade Cycles
CHAPTER THREE ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF CONFUCIUS ANDHIS SCHOOL
Section I Confucius and His Immediate Followers
(1) Wealth
(2) Production and Commerce
(3) Distribution and Consumption
(4) State Finances
(5) General Survey of Confucius' Economic Thought
(6) Economic Thought in Great Learning and Doctrine of the Mean
(7) The Ideal of Great Harmony
Section II Economic Thought of Meng Ke (Mencius)
(1) Fundamental Attitude Towards Wealth
(2) Permanent Property
(3) Labour
(4) Price and Forestalling
(5) Finance
(6) Ideal of ling Land System
(7) Summary
CHAPTER FOUR ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF Me DI AND HIS SCHOOL
Section I Mutual Benefits
Section II Value and Price
Section III Labour
Section IV State and Class
Section V Population
Section VI Finance
Section VII Consumption
Section VIII Short Summary
CHAPTER FIVE ECONOMIC THOUGHT IN GUAN ZI
Section I Economic Interpretation of Social Ethics
Section II Wealth and Labour
Section III Self-interest
Section IV Distribution
Section V The Prodigality Theory of Consumption
Section VI The "Light-Heavy" Theory
(1) The Origin and Aim of the "Light-Heavy" Theory
(2) Rules of the "Light-Heavy" Doctrine
(3) General Application of the "Light-Heavy" Doctrine
Section VII Theory of Money
Section VIII Price and Commerce
Section IX Public Finance
Section X Other Economic Policies
Section XI General Summary
CHAPTER SIX XUN KUANG AND HIS CONCEPT OF WANTS
Section I Human Wants
Section II Production of Wealth
Section III Distribution of Wealth
Section IV Other Economic Thought
CHAPTER SEVEN ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF THE LEGALIST SCHOOL
Section I Li Kui's Teaching "On the Best Use of the Productivity of Land"
Section II Shang Yang's Policy of Farming and War
(1) Shang Yang's Economic Ideas in General
(2) Policy of Farming and War
Section III Economic Thought of Han Fei
Section IV Summary
CHAPTER EIGHT ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF TAOISTS AGRI CULTURALISTS AND OTHERS IN THE WARRING STATES PERIOD
PART TWO ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF THE EARLIER PERIOD OF THE FEUDAL LANDLORD ECONOMY-FROM THE SECOND CENTURY B.C.TO THE NINTH CENTURY AD.
CHAPTER NINE ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF SECOND CENTURY B.C THINKERS AND SIMA QLIAN
CHAPTER TEN ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF SANG HONGYANG AND THE POLEMICS AT THE SALT AND IRON CONFERNCE IN 81B.C
CHAPTER ELEVEN AGRICULTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND MONETARY IDEAS FROM THE MID-SECOND CENTURY TO THE FIRST CENTURYB.C
CHAPTER TWELVE ECONOMIC THOUGT OF WANG MANG AND OTHER THINKERS IN THE EASTERN HAN DYNASTY
CHAPTER THIRTEEN ECONOMIC THOUGT OF THE JIN DYNASTY
CHAPTER FOURTEEN ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF THE SOUTH-ERN AND NORTHERN DYNASTIES-FROM THE FIFTH TO THE SIXTH CENTURY
CHAPTER FIFTEEN ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF THE TANG DYNASTY-FROM THE SEVENTH TO THE NINTH CENTURY
PART THREE ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF THE LATER PERIOND OF FEUDAL LANDLORD ECONOMY AND THE PERIOD OF SEMIFEUDAL SEMICOLONIAL ECONOMY
CHAPTER SIXTEEN ECONOMIC REFORM OF WANG ANSHI IN THE ELEVENTH CENTURY
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN UTILITARIANS' ECONOMIC VIEWS ANDTHE MONETARY THEORY OF THE SOUTHERN SONG DY- NASTY (1127-1279)
CHAPTER NINETEEN THE PAPER-CURRENCY ORDINANCE OF1287 AND THE ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF THE YUAN DY-NASTY (1271-1368)
CHAPTER TWENTY ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF THE MING DYNASTY--FROM THE FIFTEENTH TO THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE ECONOMIC THOUGHT DURING THELATE MING AND EARLY CLING DYNASTIES--FROM THESEVENTEENTH TO THE BEGINNING OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO HONG LIANG|I'S THEORY OF POPU-LATION, WE! YUAN'S CALL FOR "LEARNING FROM THE WEST" AND OTHER ECONOMIC THOUGHT--FROM THE EIGHTEENTH TO THE MID-NINETEENTH CENTURY
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF THE PE- RIOD OF SEMIFEUDAL SEMICOLONIAL ECONOMY
EPILOGUE
Chinese Dynasties
Bibliography
Chinese Names of Personages Mentioned