THE CONFUCIAN ETHIC AND THE SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM

The aim of this article is to examine the relation between the religion of fast-developing China and its economy. This paper refers also to the Max Weber's thesis who regarded protestantism to have the best impact on economic development. The view of this paper's author is that confucianism is positively correlated with the economic development of China, although its influence is ambiguous. The article is to raise the point in discussion on causes of growth of the Chinese economy. It underlines the cultural factors. They are not the only ones but they help to understand the sources of economic successes of the Chinese. Their actions are based on values different from those present in the Western countries. The globalisation process has not eradicated cultural differences which still exist and which are of great meaning to both the theory and practice of economy. The author analises the existing literature on this topic and refers the the Weberian thought in order to achieve this article's aim. The descriptive method and theoretical deliberations are present as well as practical implications.