The Confucian Legalist State and Theory Building Based on Ideal-Type Set

Abstract

Abstract In this essay, I address two major concerns raised by the reviewers of my recent book The Confucian-Legalist State. The first is on the theory of social change that I have developed in my book, and the second is about my explanation of why an indigenous breakthrough to industrial capitalism was impossible in China, despite its highly commercialized economy. I address the first issue by explicating the nature and value of ideal-type-set based deduction in theory building, and the second one by clarifying three methodological issues involved in historical comparison. The essay is concluded with a key point of my book–history is developmental but not progressive.