Abstract: The discussion on the logical starting point of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics focuses on the four core categories, namely “commodity”, “relations of production”, “the people” and “state”. The key disputes cover a series of core propositions, such as the classical proposition of the logical starting point, the maturity of the development of the socialist economic and social formation with Chinese characteristics, the essential characteristics of the socialist economy with Chinese characteristics, and the relevant theoretical views of western economics. Such an inclination well tells the diversity of academic research and the lack of adequate dialogue in its current studies. To cope with that, the core proposition to be answered should be shifted to how to reasonably derive the logical starting point of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics from the logical starting point of Marxist political economy and how to handle the dialectical unity of the principle and practical applicability of the establishment of the logical starting point according to the development of socialist economy with Chinese characteristics. The logical starting point directly decides the starting point and logical method of building the theoretical system. Therefore, its discussion can better promote the building of the theoretical system of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics. Based on this, this paper proposes to adhere to and improve the basic socialist economic system as the logical starting point of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics.

Key words: socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics, logical starting point, theoretical system, Marxist political economy