This course provides an introduction to the Weberian tradition of comparative civilization analysis. Our goal is to clarify the ways in which the cultural and structural dimensions of social organization are interwoven, in a way that will allow us to better understand divergences in the structure and dynamics of economy, state, and society across civilizations. To get our methodological bearings, we will read foundational texts by Max Weber, along with the major refinements to Weber’s framework made by figures such as Karl Jaspers and Shmuel Eisenstadt. Further readings will develop comparisons among the U.S., China, and Japan. In the final weeks of the course we will mobilize these readings to address a series of topical questions: Do liberalism and democracy always travel together? Does “modernization” make others more like us, or more like themselves? Can Confucianism be squared with “human rights”? Will the end of the Cold War bring peaceful “globalization” or a “clash of civilizations”? Students may expect to write one medium-length paper and one long paper.

Required texts

The required texts are available at the University Bookstore, with one exception. Those available at the bookstore include:

• Ruth Benedict, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword; Mariner Books, reprint edition (June 1989); ISBN: 0395500753
• Francis Oakley, The Medieval Experience; University of Toronto Press, reprint edition (March 1988); ISBN: 0802067077
• Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism; Routledge, 2nd edition (May 2001); ISBN: 041525406X
• The one book not available at the bookstore is out of print and must be purchased online. I have checked, and many copies are available. Try Alibris, or Abe Books, or Amazon, used. The book in question is: John Fairbanks, The United States and China, 4th ed.; Harvard University Press (1979); ISBN: 067492435-5 [or 067492436-3 paperback] Be sure to get the fourth edition.

Other readings

A reading packet is available for purchase at the History Department for $15. These readings are required. A second reading packet may be organized and placed on sale later in the semester, covering topics in the second half of the course. Free handouts of supplementary readings may also be distributed.

Course Requirements and Grading

Course credit will be based on class participation (20%), a midterm paper (30%) and a final paper (50%).

Participation: Class time will be devoted primarily to discussion of the readings. It makes no sense to come to class if you haven’t done the readings: you will get very little out of the discussion, and others will get nothing out of you. You do not get credit for showing up; you get credit for speaking up. On the other hand, the classroom is not a competitive arena. If you make one reasonably thoughtful comment each class, you get full credit for the day. Come with a question or comment in mind. Also, I’ll occasionally ask a “no-brainer” question. If you’ve nothing else to say for the day, or are simply shy, at least take advantage of these. We’ll all thank you for it, as it will help us keep discussion at a steady pace. Above all, be sensitive to the classroom dynamic, for which we are all responsible. Don’t take over the discussion; disagree respectfully; keep your comments on topic; try to refer to your classmates by name when referencing a point they have made (this helps keep things civil—reminding us that there is a person behind every opinion).

Papers: Papers will be divided into a style component (worth one third) and a content component (worth two thirds). Papers will vary in length from four to ten pages, depending upon the assignment.

Extension policy: Paper due dates are announced, and paper topics handed out, far in advance of the deadline. If you budget your time and start your paper early, you should have no trouble getting your paper in on time, even if you fall ill. There are no deadline extensions in this course, with exception made only for hospitalization or death in one’s immediate family, to be confirmed through an email from one’s academic advisor. There are no extensions for illness, extracurricular activities, other schoolwork, or anything else. However, I do accept late papers, although in fairness to your fellow students, they will be marked down one third of a grade for each day late, with the first 24 hour period commencing immediately after the deadline. I will not think less of you for handing in a late paper. I realize that sometimes other things must take priority. If taking an extra day will allow you to write a much better paper, by all means take the extra day. It will more than make up for the third of a letter grade deducted. If, in order to avoid accumulating penalties, you need to turn in a paper on a weekend, call me and we will arrange a drop off at my home. A rewrite will not reverse a late paper penalty.

Quizzes and outlines: So long as everyone continues to do the reading and discussions remain lively, no recourse to quizzes or outlines of the reading will be made. But if the class is flagging, they may be instituted and will be factored into final course grades.

Syllabus

Unless otherwise noted, all readings not drawn from Benedict, Oakley, Weber, or Fairbank, can be found in the course reading packet. In a few cases, the packet readings are out of order, so search around a bit before you contact me for clarification. “TBA” = “To Be Arranged”

Week 1
MLK holiday

Week 2
Course Introduction. Geertz, “Impact of the Concept of Culture on the Concept of Man”; Benedict, Chrysanthemum and the Sword, 1-144

Week 3
Benedict, Chrysanthemum and the Sword, 145-252

Week 4
Benedict, Chrysanthemum and the Sword, 253-316; Thomas Rohlen, “Order in Japanese Society”

Week 5
Henri Frankfort, Before Philosophy (selections); Karl Jaspers, “The Origin and End of History” (selections); Shmuel Eisenstadt, “The Axial Age: the emergence of transcendental visions and the rise of clerics”

Week 6
Francis Oakley, The Medieval Experience, 1-102

Week 7
Francis Oakley, The Medieval Experience, 103-212

Spring Break

Week 8
Weber, Protestant Ethic, 35-128, 153-154

Week 9
Weber, Protestant Ethic, 155-183; Tocqueville, Democracy in America; further reading, TBA.

Week 10
Fairbank, The United States and China, 1-140; Recommended: Schwartz, “Transcendence in Ancient China”

Week 11
Weber, “Confucianism and Puritanism”; Fairbank, The United States and China, 276-279; 359-386; 391-393; skim 399-416; 417-421; 426-449; 462-478.

Week 12
Hamilton, “Overseas Chinese Capitalism,” 331-342; Redding, “Societal Transformation and the Contribution of Authority Relations and Cooperation Norms in Overseas Chinese Business,” 310-327; Hamilton and Biggart, “Market, Culture, and Authority,” pp. 75-88 and skim 52-74; Fallows, “What is an Economy For?”; review Rohlen, “Order in Japanese Society.”

Week 13
Zakaria, “Illiberal Democracy”; Larry Siedentop, “Liberalism, the Christian Connection”; Anthony Yu, “Confucianism and Human Rights”

Week 14
Huntington, “The New Era in World Politics” [15pp.]; “A Universal Civilization? Modernization and Westernization” [23pp.]; “The Global Politics of Civilizations” (39pp. China only, 27pp.); “The West, Civilizations, and Civilization” [21pp]; Mottahedeh, “The Clash of Civilizations: An Islamicist’s Critique” [24pp., recommended]