Crucial to Marx's analysis of the weakness of Western capitalism was his contention that under capitalism the conflict between state and society and the roles of bourgeois and citoyen could not be reconciled. Marx could not foresee the rise of Japanes...
Crucial to Marx's analysis of the weakness of Western capitalism was his contention that under capitalism the conflict between state and society and the roles of bourgeois and citoyen could not be reconciled. Marx could not foresee the rise of Japanese capitalism which has succeeded in reconciling these conflicts to a greater extent than has been true in the West. This is largely a consequence of the influence of Shinto on Japanese civilization, especially in modern times. As a result, Japanese capitalism poses a multidimensional challenge to the United States. In particular, American individualism, especially when exaggerated, may be ill-equipped to meet the challenge of its technological superpower rival.