Mao Zedong Thought

There is general consensus in the literature that ideology can play a critical role in economic development. The utopian character of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought implies that the ideology has an &s;unconstrained vision&s; of human nature and human potential. Men and women are believed to be perfectible, particularly in regards to their moral perfectibility. Pure ideology is a set of ideas designed to give the individual a unified and conscious world view; practical ideology is a set of ideas designed to give the individual rational instruments for action. As expressed by the 1945 Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Constitution, &s;Mao Zedong Thought is the thought that unifies the theory of Marxism-Leninism with the realities of the Chinese revolution&s;. Quite independent of its role in shaping the economic trajectory of the People&s;s Republic, Mao Zedong Thought was the inspiration, the guide, and the legitimating rationale for the system that dominated the lives of a fifth of humankind for half a century.