Abstract: In the past four decades of reform and opening-up, the practice of reforming the income distribution system has provided a rich soil for the exploration and innovation of the income distribution theory. With the magnificent reform and opening-up, the socialist income distribution theory with Chinese characteristics has been developed and innovated; and a great number of theoretical explanations, academic viewpoints and policy options have been formed with the spirit of the times and from the practice of reform and opening-up, which reflects the historical process of Sinicization of Marx’s income distribution theory. According to the method of combining historical analysis with logical deduction, this paper summarizes the socialist income distribution theory with Chinese characteristics from the three historic periods, i.e., bringing order out of chaos for the income distribution theory, breaking through and exploring the income distribution theory, and innovating and developing the income distribution theory. Then it points out the prospect of the income distribution theory with Chinese characteristics from such perspectives as the development of social productivity, being people-oriented and justice, the reform of ownership structure, the target model of the market economic system reform, emancipating the mind and keeping one’s feet on the ground, etc..

Key words: the four decades of reform and opening-up; socialism with Chinese characteristics; income distribution; exploration and innovation