3000 years of reform: from the well-field system to Wang Mang: the evolution and ideals of land and economic systems in early ancient China
3000年大改革：从井田到王莽——中国古代早期土地与经济制度的演变与理想

摘要

本文聚焦于中国早期（西周至新朝）土地与核心经济制度的重大变革，以“井田制—商鞅改制—盐铁专卖—王莽改制”为关键节点，剖析其从“公田公耕”的公社实践，到“公田私耕”的家庭化转型，再到工商业公有化，直至王莽融合古今的全面公有化尝试。研究发现，这些改革深刻反映了不同时期王朝对“公”与“私”关系的探索，其成败得失不仅塑造了古代中国的经济基础与社会结构，更揭示了政治权力、经济效率与社会稳定之间永恒的博弈，为理解中国制度的路径提供了重要历史见鉴。

Abstract

This article focuses on the major changes in land and core economic systems in early China (from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Xin Dynasty). Taking the "Well-Field System"—Shang Yang's Reforms—the Salt and Iron Monopoly—and Wang Mang's Reforms as key nodes, it analyzes the evolution from the communal practice of "public land for public cultivation" to the family-based transformation of "public land for private cultivation," then to the nationalization of industry and commerce, and finally to Wang Mang's attempt at comprehensive nationalization, integrating the past and the present. The study finds that these reforms profoundly reflect the exploration of the relationship between "public" and "private" by different dynasties. Their successes and failures not only shaped the economic foundation and social structure of ancient China but also revealed the eternal struggle between political power, economic efficiency, and social stability, providing important historical insights for understanding the path of Chinese institutions.