This book, by way of a comparative analysis of the main economic viewpoints of the Chinese and Western traditions, shows that the theories of the Physiocrats originated, in a significant way, from ancient Chinese economic thought. Resorting to a large number of relevant Chinese and foreign materials, the author argues convincingly for the great role ancient Chinese thought played in the birth of Western modern economics.

The book is funded and published by the Shanghai Marxist Academic Publications Foundation. It systematically and convincingly demonstrates the Physiocrats’ basic economic views and their origins in ancient Chinese thought. This is a very innovative, unique and exciting research. Many scholars in China have regarded the work as a breakthrough in the study of the history of economics, because of which the author has won the second prize of outstanding achievement in Shanghai’s philosophy and social sciences.