EAS 544 - East Asia & Global Capitalism

This course explores the Weberian thesis on the relation between culture and capitalist economy by investigating East Asia and its connection with global capitalism. Special attention will be paid to the formation of the dominating East Asian intellectual and religious traditions such as Confucianism and Buddhism and their impact on business ethics and practices in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Reading of translations of primary texts and case studies of East Asian entrepreneurs will be emphasized. To be able to make enlightened judgments about the depth and scope of East Asian thought and capitalist culture, we need to situate the current subject in the global context. As conceived in this course, the following topics will be covered with greater emphasis: 1. The formation of global capitalism and the role of East Asia 2. Life and thought of influential East Asian thinkers 3. Impact of their thoughts on East Asian business culture 4. Cultural and ethical aspects of East Asian economy and business.