A Discussion and Analysis Of some of his Contributions As Well as their Social,
Political and Economic Impacts Since the Thirteen Colonies first united, the United States
has had one of the strongest economies in the world. Over the years, many theorists have
had varying opinions concerning the reason for this nation's strong economic standing.
One reason that has often been overlooked is that a great many of this nation's workers
have been influenced by the Protestant work ethic.
The philosophy behind this work ethic has driven many workers to attain as much
as possible at their jobs during their lifetimes. If one man were to be given credit for the
development of the Protestant work ethic it would have to be Martin Luther. In the course
of the next several pages this researcher will examine the ethic that has had such a great
impact on the United State's economy and on the economies of other nations. It has been
suggested by such writers as Weber and Smith that the Protestant work ethic first
developed around the word "calling." Basically, this term has a religious connotation
which is a task set by God. However, gradually this term was expanded to the point where
it covered many of man's activities. During the Protestant Reformation, the term "calling"
started to take on a new meaning. Fulfilling one's duty in worldly affairs became a task of
extreme importance. gradually, fulfilling one's duty was not only important but it became
the moral obligation of every individual (the highest form of moral activity). Before the
Reformation, the Catholic Church did not believe that everyday world activities had a
religious significance. As a result of Luther these world activities were quite important in
adhering to God's wishes. Rather than devote one's life to worshipping God through
prayer, and instead of sacrificing all worldly goods to follow Christ, the Protestants
believed that the task ...