| Abstract | The Puritan is characterized by Max Weber as an "inner-worldly ascetic" while the Confucian being no prophet, remains at best an "inner-worldly mystic". The prophetic type considers himself to be an instrument of God, one commissioned to do God's will. The Confucian, however, says Weber, still sees himself, much as the Taoist would, as a vessel of the Divine, a natural participant of the Tao. This Weberian contrast of the Puritan and the Confucian is based on an insufficient and limited knowledge of Chinese tradition. This article focuses on the spirituality of the Neo-Confucian and the Puritan tradition, the extent of their similarities and differences. |
|---|
