China and the Master without History

:A Study of Max Weber’s Enduring Influence

Abstract

Max Weber is one of the canonical three masters in classical sociology, having contributed his formidable mind toward consolidating the foundations of the field. However, the seemingly dense base erected by the trio is a lopsided one, since Weber—widely regarded as the Master of East-West Historical Comparison—was unable, for the most part, to throw off the mantle of nineteenth-century historicism. Indeed, Weber amassed little erudition about China and therefore should be reevaluated as a discredit to classical sociology. This article examines why students around the world, including those from China who ought to know better, have relied on the misguided claims made by Weber, despite their being no basis in Chinese historical records to support those claims.