economics
Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a study of the relationship between the ethics of ascetic Protestantism and the emergence of the spirit of modern capitalism. An ascetic Protestant is one who practices self-denial and self-discipline. Weber argues that the religious ideas of groups such as the Calvinists played a role in creating the capitalistic spirit. Calvinists were people who followed the doctrines of John Calvin. It basically was a religion that believed in predestination and that God had infinite power. Weber first observes a link between being Protestant and being involved in business, and declares his intent to explore religion as a potential cause of the modern economic conditions. He argues that the modern spirit of capitalism sees profit as an end in itself, and pursuing profit as virtuous. His goal is to understand the source of this spirit. He turns to Protestantism for a potential explanation. Protestantism offers a concept of the worldly calling, and gives worldly activity a religious character. Since religion has always had a major impact upon conduct, he attributes the particular development to the influen
Weber argues that in order for a manner of life so conducive to capitalism to become dominant, it had to originate somewhere, as a way of life common to a large number of people. He also encourages people to present themselves as industrious and trustworthy at all times. Other religious groups, such as the Pietists, Methodists, and the Baptist denominations had similar attitudes to a lesser degree. Weber argues that this new attitude broke down the traditional economic system, paving the way for modern capitalism. However, once capitalism emerged, the Protestant values were no longer necessary, and their ethic took on a life of its own. It is this origin that must be explained. We are now locked into the spirit of capitalism because it is so useful for modern economic activity. Weber attempts to relate ascetic Protestantism to capitalism. In explaining the rise of capitalism, he makes it clear that the impulse to acquisition, pursuit of gain, of money, of the greatest possible amount of money, has in itself nothing to do with capitalism and unlimited greed for gain is not in the least identical with capitalism, and is still less its spirit. He never really writes about how the capitalistic system emerged. To demonstrate the meaning of the spirit of capitalism, Weber includes a long writing from Benjamin Franklin. He encourages people to pay all of their debts on time, because it encourages the confidence of others. While this is still important, it alone cannot explain the need to pursue profit. He says that Franklin's attitudes illustrate capitalism's ethos. This is the spirit of modern capitalism.
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Acceptance Essays
