Mosca’s Middle Class Theory and the Role of the Chinese Middle Class in the Modernization of China's System and Capacity for Governance

Abstract

Gaetano Mosca, an influential Italian politician and thinker, employed the ruling class theory to analyse political systems and behaviour. Mosca emphasized the crucial role of the middle class in a nation's political life, asserting that it is indispensable for the country's development, stability, and prosperity. According to Mosca, the middle class provides the ruling class with the necessary talents and resources to adapt to changing times, preventing degeneration, stagnation, and the onset of revolutions. Additionally, the middle class fosters unity within a society, thereby enhancing a country's social cohesion. Furthermore, it consolidates the hierarchical structure of judicial defence, promoting respect for the law and reinforcing moral obligations. Mosca held high expectations for the middle class, advocating for its active political involvement and moral superiority over other classes in order to maintain national stability and foster prosperity and progress. This dissertation summarizes Mosca’s ideas regarding the middle class and proposes a hypothesis that the middle class possesses two political functions. Firstly, the middle class possesses the ability to establish close contact with the masses and partially represent the will of the underclass. Secondly, it has the capacity to gain acceptance within the political framework of the state, allowing its opinions and suggestions to potentially be embraced by the ruling class, which holds the essence of state power. Additionally, exceptional members of the middle class have the potential to ascend to the ruling class through their own efforts. Only when these two political functions are effectively realized can the middle class actively contribute to national governance. This dissertation aims to analyze the role of the middle class in state-building by examining the social reality of China in the aftermath of the revolution and the subsequent reform and opening up period.