This paper focuses on Tai Chi-t'ao's theory on social revolution and its specific features between 1919 and 1920. In line with dominant Marxist discourses at that time, Tai believed that adapting the economic structure is crucial to social revolution. Based on this assumption, Tai pointed out that the disintegration of Chinese society was caused by capitalism. Under the impact of capitalism, unemployment became a prominent phenomenon and Chinese traditional ethics and social relationships were lost.According to Tai, the reconstruction of Chinese society must build upon an economic foundation of accepting the industrial productive forces. Based on this prerequisite, a new form of social relationship could be established under the guidance of Chinese traditional ethics. Moreover, capitalism has already caused class polarization in China. Therefore, Chinese revolutionaries should strive to improve the lives of workers, enlighten them and invigorate their organization. These conditions would give workers the propensity to change the capitalist relations of production.In this essay, I articulate two specific characteristics of Tai's theory. Firstly, Tai provided a blueprint to fix the flaws of Western capitalism using Chinese cultural heritage. Secondly, despite the transformation of economic construction being a key point in bringing about a social revolution, it is not the panacea for all China's problems. Tai argued that one's moral abilities and responsibilities of reconstructing ethics and social relationships are also crucial in his conceptualization of social revolution in China. For the above reasons, Tai Chi-t'ao proposed a new direction for the establishment of a new China which responds not only to capitalism but also to Marxism.