Abstract: The nature of capitalist mode of production is stipulated as follows: taking high-level socialization of production as a historical starting point and surplus value as an existing form, featuring with competitiveness, marking with machine or automatic production in terms of technological conditions of production, and differentiating from feudalist or small scale mode of production in terms of social relationship of production. From the perspective of horizontal social development, it is important to clarify the two boundaries in this mode. First, the capitalist mode of production is not equal to the various phenomena or other modes of production existing in the capitalist society. Second, the capitalist mode of production is not the same as the specific operational capitalist modes around the world; for instance, the “European-American mode” of capitalist production used to cause some negative effects. From the perspective of social vertical development, it is necessary to realize that capitalist mode of production still has its historical vitality as a “modern mode”, and its achievements can be adjusted in a newly developed concept to serve our socialism.

Key words: capitalist mode of production, negative historical effect, green development, development for shared benefits