Max Weber’s "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism"

According to Max Weber, the Protestant ethic was a central factor in the birth of ________.

Weber presented the idea of investing the money in an effort to promote the growth of capitalism. As a result; the Protestant ethic guided its followers to work, develop business, engage in commerce and ultimately accumulate wealth for investment. The Protestant ethic was therefore the driving force behind the mass action that led to the development of capitalism (the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism, 2016).

It is important to understand that Weber believed capitalism was fuelled by ideas, such as Protestantism, specifically Calvinism. His belief was that Protestants were very different to Catholics, spending more time focusing on their community rather than purely focusing on their own individual families. They worked towards a common goal, to ensure they worked to their full potential. Weber claimed that Protestants experienced feelings of guilt and directed these negative emotions into their work which Weber called “The Protestant Work

Weber argues that religious beliefs contributed to major social change- specifically the emergence of modern capitalism in Northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. Modern capitalism differs from capitalism as it is based on systematic, efficient and a rational pursuit of profit and profit for its own sake rather than consumption. Weber calls this the spirit of capitalism.

As seen throughout the semester, the debates surrounding capitalism and its role in society are extensive and transcends generations. By virtue of the nature of debates, two broad positions on capitalism evolved in North American Protestantism – one position defends capitalism while the other protests capitalism. The defense of capitalism developed in the 19th century. Being one of the many authors to do so, Charles Sellers attributes the development of capitalism to the Market and Industrial Revolution (Sellers, 21). Consequently, the Second Great Awakening increased religious awareness and significance in the daily lives of Americans (Sellers, 202). Sellers argues it was only through religion that Americans could cope with the stresses of

Weber, in The protestant ethic, draws conclusions from sweeping cultural generalizations. In the book’s introduction he explains how various non-Western countries have had good ideas and practices in the past, but unfortunately never capitalized on them enough to project them to the great status the

It can be characterised as a wholesale commodification of religion, that is the selling-off of religious buildings, ideas and claims to authenticity in service to individual/ corporate profit and the promotion of a particular worldview and mode of life, namely corporate capitalism” (15). Carrette and King are making an important observation that religion has become a good that can be sold and traded through the idea that spirituality is a certain way of living. The “Prosperity Gospel” falls into this spirituality trap that Carrette and King address. The “ideas and claims” are seen when prosperity preachers tell their congregations that monetary donations will lead to an increase in personal wealth, and to better health. Meanwhile the “promotion of a particular worldview and mode of life” is apparent when prosperity preachers teach their followers that money and property are essential in God’s plan for them, and it is a sign of their spirituality when they prosper. In addition, the “selling-off of religious buildings” can be found in the numerous mega-churches and multi-million dollar mansions that prosperity preachers inhabit. The wealth of these places sell the idea that fancy buildings are signs of a healthy spiritual lifestyle being lived in God’s favor. Overall,

A fair wage system did not exist even before the Industrial Revolution. Along with that, the Industrial Age destroyed the eternal laws of supply and demand. As a result of the unfair distribution of wealth in the Industrial Age, a new school of theological thought emerged, known as “the Social Gospel.” This new theology stemmed from many theologians who developed economic theories and studied sociology. Despite the bad results from the Industrial Age, advocates still believed that it did have some positive outcomes that brought American citizens closer, including telephones, railroads, cars, trains, and growing cities. It was still believed that humanity could not be diverted from God’s ultimate plan with the anomalies caused by

I believe that Max Weber’s most acclaimed work ‘The Protestant Work Ethic and The Spirit of

Weber claims that the modern spirit of capitalism sees profit as righteous. Weber set out in attempt of understanding the source of this spirit. While studying Protestantism provided insight, this insight alone could not explain the relationship. After further observation, Weber did concluded that one branch of Protestantism, Calvinism, does provide a partial explanation. Calvinists subscribe to the belief of predestination.

In the introduction, Deber review statements made by Weber expounding social institutions. Weber mentions in the nineteenth century that religion and economy played an big-time role in how the society functioned. Deber was describing how economy and religion do not play the same role as they did in the nineteenth century. Deber uses the illustration of same sex marriage and attests that heterosexual marriage has changed social institution over the centuries. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first century that same sex marriage, single parents, and re-marriage is the institutional shift. In the excerpt, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Weber describes how religion and the economy function in a society. Religion changed

One expects Weber to Capitalism is a result of Protestantism or to be more specific, Calvinism. Calvinism believes God has granted few with salvation whereas others have to go through damnation. This virtue isn't dependent on their good or bad actions/ deeds but because God wanted it in a certain way. This belief made believers of Calvinism worried about their salvation and made them invest more efforts into economic success. This, in turn, made them believe that they were the chosen favourites of God. Furthermore, the profits made by Calvanists were re-invested into the business for further profits rather than self-indulgence. Hence, the concept of "Protestant ethic" came into place which generally refers to desire of having enormous economic success and will of working hard. This concept of "work ethic"

For Weber, the idea of rationalism rational thought based on societal efficiency and productivity, runs through his works particularly The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. In this seminal work, Weber argues that the idea of Protestantism contributes to history and economics in that piety and the chance for a better life after death cause humans to strive for economic gain in certain ways, whereas that is not always using work as an expression of self - it is work, as Marx might say, for the ends justifying the means, rather than the means justifying what work is being done. Authority, then, rather than being solely economic, does have at its

According to Marx, religion can be seen as the opiate of the people (Engels, Marx 1955, p.41). Here, Marx is suggesting that just like opium, religion is trying to relieve people of the pain and suffering in their lives. Marx also puts forward the idea that religion is used by its oppressors in order to make people feel better about their lives. Thus, it can be seen that Marx chooses to adopt a negative view of religion. Max Weber can be seen as the only sociologist to place so much scope and emphasis on the subject of religion (Nisbet, p.250). Biographical and textual evidence suggests that biblical religion played a part in shaping and influencing Weber's life and the context of his sociology. Weber's main concern was to attempt to demonstrate that religious ideologies were not mechanically connected to the economic structure of society, however it does shape individuals behavior and actions in everyday life (Swingewood 1984, p.152). Weber also came to several conclusions regarding the remarkable relationship between capitalism and Protestant. According to Weber, the more capitalism had a free hand to alter social distribution, the larger the relationship between capitalism and protestant (1930, p.4). Overall, it can be seen that the three main sociology theorists differ greatly when it comes to ideas regarding to religion.

According to Max Weber, the Protestant Revolution was a significant ideological development in the history of capitalism, not simply religion. The idea that salvation could be attained by works of the faith alone enabled people to separate their economic, secular life from their private religious life. "Contrary to medieval belief, religious vocations were no longer considered superior to economic vocations for only personal faith mattered with God" (Frey 2010). The uncertainty of faith also drove people to demonstrate their moral worth to the community: "Uncertainty about salvation, according to Weber, had the psychological effect of producing a single-minded search for certainty. Although one could never influence God's decision to extend or withhold election, one might still attempt to ascertain his or her status. A life that '... served to increase the glory of God' presumably flowed naturally from a state of election" (Frey 2010).