Max Weber und der „konfuzianische Kapitalismus“

Abstract

In explanations of the path of capitalist development in East Asia, the idea of „confucian capitalism” became well accepted in the past two decades. Turning on the one hand Weber upside down (by changing the direction of his explanation) , most authors did rely on the other hand on his theoretical approach. But, by comparing Webers approach with the mode of explanation applied in recent studies, the article does reveal the theoretical flaws as well as the weak empirical base of the intended cultural explanations. „Confucian capitalism” seems not only to be a rather misleading catchphrase, but as such also a barreer to sound cultural explanations of capitalist development.