“卡里斯玛”是Ｍ·韦伯在其社会学理论中提出来的一个重要概念，它是指一种特殊的、在并非人人都可企及的意义上被理解为“超凡”的个人品质。卡里斯玛是提供超越日常生活需求之外的一切要求的基础，这一点在越是远古时代，反映就越明显。因而，文明发展从某种角度来看，恰恰是卡里斯玛“超越精神”逐渐被世俗日常生活需求的满足要求所排斥的过程。本文试图通过对中西古代文明有关方面的比较，来说明两种文化在“超越精神”方面的差异及其社会历史根源。作者认为，如果说中国古代自秦统一后出现的官僚帝国形态，抑制了中国文化中“超越精神”成分的发展，从而导致中国没能产生象新教伦理那样的诱发资本主义的精神驱动力成分的发展，那么当代资本主义在驱逐了它的宗教背景之后，同样陷入了一个官僚统治的、敌视卡里斯玛、消解一切“超越精神”的文明发展的困境。这是我们今天必须正视的时代命运 Karisma is an important concept that M · Weber put forward in his theory of sociology. It refers to a special personal character understood as “extraordinary” in a sense that is not accessible to all. Karrisma is the basis for everything that goes beyond the needs of everyday life, which is reflected in the more ancient times. Therefore, from a certain point of view, the development of civilization is precisely the process of Karrisma’s “transcendence” gradually being met by the satisfaction of the requirements of the secular daily life. This article attempts to illustrate the differences between the two cultures in “transcendence” and their social and historical origins by comparing the relevant aspects of Chinese and Western cultures. The author believes that if the form of bureaucratic empire emerged in ancient China after the reunification of Qin suppressed the development of “transcendence” elements in Chinese culture, which led to China’s inability to generate the spiritual driving force of capitalism as Protestantism did Development, contemporary capitalism, after exterminating its religious background, has also plunged into a predicament of bureaucratic domination, hostility toward Karismar, and the elimination of all “transcendence” civilized development. This is the destiny of the times we must face today