Understanding Poverty And The Meta Problem Of Poverty Alleviation

By Xing Chengju

If you look at the title of the book, you may think that the book should be about how poverty ends and in what sense it ends. However, the author's ideas and research framework seem to have gone beyond the ordinary logic for a long time, which brings us more new cognition about poverty and poverty alleviation.

As far as I am concerned, the biggest highlight or value of this book lies in that it answers the meta problem of poverty and the meta problem of poverty alleviation for us in systematically combing the discourse and theory of poverty awareness at home and abroad, and the re recognition of the value and significance of poverty alleviation in China. Of course, this book presents very complex academic propositions, which integrate theoretical thinking and practical dialogue. Therefore, it is difficult to "sketch" the book with simple words, or "sketch" itself will make us lack of thinking and Discussion on a large number of enlightening, extensible and related topics in the book. Therefore, the text here is only an index expression, a kind of opening learning experience of many topics in this book.

What is the meta problem of poverty? The explanation given in the book is based on individual natural differences and policy system differences. This means that the emergence of poverty is naturally related to many characteristics and endowments of individuals, but the design and continuous operation of postnatal policies and systems have strengthened the gap of survival ability and development ability brought by individual differences and even group differences to a greater extent, and this gap can hardly be self adjusted and balanced without external intervention. If the differentiation and difference between individuals is a normal state, then the differentiation and difference must be limited to the healthy and orderly social order. At the same time, differentiation should not be the reinforcement of inequality, but should be the correction of the phenomenon of artificially strengthening inequality. The meta problem of poverty is closely related to the meta problem of poverty alleviation. If we say that poverty originates from individual differences and a series of related policies and systems, then poverty alleviation embodies a political philosophy of paying attention to the weak and realizing social symbiosis and harmonious development. In a fundamental sense, poverty alleviation shows that the state and the government attach importance to the value of human beings, The value of human is not only its economic value, cultural value or labor value, but also its basic rights and dignity as a complete social person. The meta problem of poverty alleviation is whether it is necessary for us to balance the instinct of maximizing the interests of individual survival and development, and the instinct of the strong to pay attention to the weak and help the weak in society. If we overemphasize the logic that the strong take all, we will return to the jungle law society. Therefore, the work of poverty alleviation also reflects the ruling People's basic philosophical judgment on what society is.

The practice of poverty alleviation in China embodies the philosophy of people-oriented thinking

From the perspective of China's poverty alleviation practice, especially the poverty alleviation work, the value and significance of the world-famous poverty alleviation work carried out by the Chinese government lies not only in the realization of a huge number of poor people out of poverty, but also in the victory of the people-oriented governance philosophy behind the poverty alleviation work. When many countries are still discussing whether to carry out poverty alleviation work, and when many countries are still arguing about whether taxpayers agree to spend tax funds, China has formed a large-scale poverty alleviation pattern that transcends occupation, industry and region and has broad social consensus. China's poverty alleviation work has fully demonstrated social values, social care and social philosophical thinking. The justice and value of poverty alleviation itself is not the essence of the argument about the necessity of poverty alleviation, but whether the poverty alleviation work can bring about justice and fairness of results and whether negative externalities can be avoided. In the practice of poverty alleviation in China, the vast number of poverty alleviation cadres can help the poor people and themselves, which is the communication and integration of heart and mind in the sense of sociology.

Poverty alleviation needs to focus on the structural problems behind poverty

No one in society is willing to lead a poor life. Instinctively speaking, everyone expects to live a more comfortable and ideal life. But why can't some people break through and cross the poverty trap despite their efforts? In theory, modern society has strengthened the weak conditions of the poor individuals and groups. When the supply of public goods and public services can not be balanced, the poor people's weak conditions will have greater restrictions and constraints on their survival and development, thus making it more difficult for them to get rid of poverty. Poverty alleviation is to help the poor get rid of the basic obstacles of their own development, which is still a kind of public service. If the goal of poverty alleviation is to get rich, then poverty alleviation has created a short-term dilemma between the hypothesis and the reality between the poor and the poor. Therefore, the main appeal of poverty alleviation should be to increase the income of the poor, but the income is more of a problem of market mechanism. The government led poverty alleviation can break the injustice and obstacles in the market mechanism, but it also needs to play the role of the market mechanism. Therefore, poverty alleviation in the sense of modern society should not only focus on economic links, but also eliminate the structural problems behind poverty, and reshape the social structure, social interaction and social status of the poor in a systematic sense.

(author's unit: School of Humanities and social development, Northwest A & F University)

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