马克斯·韦伯眼中的孔子:韦伯中国史观中的精神与自然力

提要]作为德国社会学古典理论的奠基人之一,马克斯·韦伯以“新教伦理与资本主义精神之间具有历史亲和力”的观点在世界范围内享有盛誉。他终其一生都在以摒弃西方人传统偏见的态度去探究非西方的文化。韦伯在中国宗教(尤其是儒教和道教)研究领域取得了巨大成就。他以对孔子和儒者的仰止之心指出儒教是一种高度发达的、冷静的理性主义,深刻剖析了宗教是中国未能发展成为现代化工业社会的决定性因素。韦伯进一步揭示了自然环境及其变迁对于中国历史进程的影响,阐释了自然环境状况也是中国未能发展成为工业资本主义的另一症结所在。

Max Weber Looking at Confucius:Spiritual and Natural Forces in the Weberian View of Chinese History

As one of distinguished makers of classical theory on Germany sociology, Marx Weber is famous for his view that there is an affinity between the Protestantism ethic and the spirit of capitalism in the world. He studied the non-western culture with the attitude discarding traditional western prejudice in his whole life. Weber obtained great accomplishments in researching Chinese religion (especially Confucianism and Daoism). With the worship to Confucius and Confucianism, he pointed out that Confucianism was a developed, cool rationalism and religion was the key factor for China not to be a modern industrial society. Furthermore, Weber explained that the physical environment and its change had deep influences on the history of China, and the physical environment was another important factor for China not to develop industrial capitalism.