Civilisations and Capitalism: On Economic Growth and Institutions

Jan-Erik Lane

University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

DOI: 10.4236/sm.2014.41003                

Abstract

Theories of political culture have typically refrained from a reinterpretation of the idea of civilisations, as a few well-known traditional approaches to this concept have been severely criticized. Yet, one may probe into the relevance of the concept of a set of civilisations for mankind in the period of globalisation. However, it is not the Weber thesis linking religion with modern capitalism or economic growth that appears most promising today when enquiring into cultural effects. Instead, it is the spread of respect for the rule of law regime, which has a much longer history than the democratic polity.

Keywords

Global Capitalism; Institutional Economics; Political Culture; Civilisations; Economic Growth; Rule of Law; Weber’s Thesis; Marxist Approach; Low and High Politics; Principal-Agent Problematic; Due Process of Law; Economic Sociology

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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