The Culture and Institutions of Confucianism

Ruixue Jia and James Kung

No 20375, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: This study reviews the culture and institutions of Confucianism and explores their implications for the trajectory of China’s historical development. We trace the origins and evolution of the core elements of Confucianism and synthesize research on its relationship to clan culture, state institutions, and a broad array of societal values. We also highlight promising but underexplored directions for future research. While Confucianism is often invoked to explain China’s absence from the Industrial Revolution and its lack of democratization, we caution against such retrospective determinism. As a multidimensional and abstract tradition, Confucianism likely allows for varied interpretations and institutional adaptations across time and context.

Keywords: Confucianism; Industrial revolution; Comparative development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N15 O43 P51 Z10 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-06
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