ABSTRACT
The most recent variation on the cultural origins of economic growth derives from the observation that a group of countries that have made spectacular strides since World War II (e.g., japan, South Korea, Taiwan) are Confucian societies. Until his recent death, Herman Kahn was director of the Hudson Institute “think tank” and was well-known as a futurist. In this contribution, Kahn says that much of the success of these nations can be attributed directly to their cultures. It is interesting to compare the attributes of Confucianism that Kahn suggests are important for development with the attributes of n Achievement and OM discussed in the previous two chapters. It is also worth considering the implication of Kahn’s argument for those nations in Latin America, Africa, and elsewhere that have dramatically different traditions. Has the absence of a “Confucian ethic” held back the development of these nations and, if so, is it likely to make closing the gap between them and the developed nations an impossible dream?
