On the Place of the Study on Confucianism in Max Weber's Work

Abstract

Max Weber's (1864-1920) study on Confucianism, dealt with in this essay, was first published in a journal in 1915, then, in an extended version, as a chapter in volume 1 of the ”Collected Essays on the Sociology of Religion” in 1920. It is here embedded in the development of ”Economy and Society” and the ”Collected Essays on the Sociology of Religion” as well as in their interrelationship. It is shown that the study on Confucianism serves a double purpose in Weber's overall writings. From a systematic point of view, Confucianism can be regarded as a border case within a sociology and typology of religious rationalism. From a point of view of developmental history, it can be regarded a backdrop, against which the uniqueness of the Western trajectory is depicted. In Weber's view, Confucian scholarship shares some common elements with Greek scholarship. Both lack the ideas of salvation and prophesy. Whereas in the West Greek philosophy merged with Christianity, a salvation religion, in China Confucianism remained untouched by the idea of salvation. Therefore, Confucianism rationalized world affirmation rather than world rejection and did not create the same deep seated conflicts between this world and the world beyond, which caused a peculiar dynamic in the West.