理论界公认西方资本主义主要经历过三个发展阶段——重商主义时期(16~18世纪),自由资本主义时期(19世纪),垄断尤其是国家垄断资本主义时期(19世纪末期,尤其是20世纪30年代大危机以来)。但本文从理论和实践两方面论证了自由资本主义时期实际上并不存在,而是后人杜撰的一个很可能使人误入歧途的神话。 Theorists have recognized that Western capitalism has mainly gone through three stages of development: the period of mercantilism (the 16th to the 18th century), the period of liberal capitalism (the 19th century), the monopoly, especially the period of state monopoly capitalism (especially the late 19th century, especially Since the great crisis of the 1930s). However, this paper argues from the theory and practice that the period of free capitalism does not actually exist, but a myth that people may confuse and lead astray.