The Protestant Ethic by Max Weber

and subsequent reinvestment of capital, is an end that both Weber and Marx reach in their analyses of society and agree on in definition. However, while Marx tells us that phantoms of the brain i.e. morality, religion, ideology, cannot develop independently of material production or influence it, Weber argues that ideas and religion can indeed determine life and the processes of life, namely our material production. The key difference between the two is their scope of factors that can cause historical development. Marx only allows for one factor, productive forces and the economic conditions resulting from them; Weber, on the other hand, acknowledges that while ideology and religion can support the economic relations as a driving factor, they can also develop independently and become a factor, a force on its own that can alter production, economic conditions, and thus history. By accounting for the multiple ways in which a society can be altered, Weber provides a more complete and applicable understanding of historical development and the powerful concept that an idea from an individual or group of individuals can have a legitimate and significant effect on the direction of society.

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

Work ethic is one of the biggest factors of American economy, is he support system of out country. Many have different opinions about this broad concept, Jonathan Klemen mentions in his essay “The protestant work ethic: just another “urban legend”” that work ethic is personalized by those who have found their passion and who have found work that provides social and personal satisfaction. He also believes that in order to achieve success you only have to work hard and concentrate in he principals of the protestant work ethic ideologies. Therefore I disagree with Klemen's conservative claims about the American work ethic because his expectations and presumptions are no where near as attainable as in he past,which effects the probability for certain social groups of people to achieve success.

According to Max Weber, the economic and technological relationships that organized and most importantly grew out of the capitalistic production became fundamental forces in the society. This means that one has to adapt to the society that he/she was born into in regards to the division of labor, and the hierarchical social structure. When analyzed, this theory shows that it is difficult for one to envision a life that is alternative to what they were born into.

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.

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

In chapter three Weber presents the final drawback between the Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. As previously mentioned, Weber also introduced the idea of a "calling" to worldly pursuits. As he describes in this chapter, Lutheranism has a divinely sanctioned place in the world, but for the first time the question of how well one performed and their role became significant. Conversely, Weber does not consider that belief in a calling is adequate to explain the spirit of capitalism. With this in mind, a calling can adhere to traditionalism since it implies that an individual should assume their position in society without further motiviation to become more. Catholicism after all was the basis for the traditional worldview. As an

Weber believed that capitalism stemmed from the religious ideas of Protestant, Lutheran and Calvinist. In the protestant church if you are wealthy god blessed you with wealth and you are going to heaven and if you are poor god did not bless you and you are probably going to hell. In Lutheranism ones has a calling. You have a mission in life that God wants you to complete. In Calvinist you can understand your mission in life by how much wealth you have. So if you are making a lot of money you are completing your calling and God is rewarding you. Weber thinks everything is being secularized so just take god out of the equations and you have Capitalism. He thinks the best we can do is Capitalism, and while not an ardent supporter, also acknowledges that anything else would be worse. Weber does not believe that society has any laws. There is one trend in society and it is towards rationalization (every greater things getting done for the benefit of productivity). Weber ardors the idea of society being bureaucratized, working together for the best strategy. However, he also acknowledges that socialism may be more efficient, but it impedes one’s creativity and mind. Therefore, “Bureaucracy is the means of carrying ‘community action’ over into rationally ordered ‘societal action’” (Economy and Society, pgs. 229-30). By having a bureaucratic society means

During the period of time that Samuel and his wife begin to follow Miller and his movement, Powers most clearly shows Samuel’s Calvinistic mindset. When arguing over the question of whether or not the Clare’s pursuit of profit was moral, Samuel gives the reader their biggest glimpse into his views related to predestination and God’s gifts to his chosen followers: “If they had been committing some wrong, Samuel assured her, they could not have stayed in the business so long. Prosperity only proved how fully they satisfied the wishes of both God and men” (89). Weber believed that through their pursuit of eternal life, the Calvinists created a business model of hard work and moral superiority, all things that Samuel brings to J. Clare and Sons.

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

Throughout his book, Weber emphasizes that his account is incomplete. He is not arguing that Protestantism caused the capitalistic spirit, but rather that it was one contributing factor. He also acknowledges that capitalism itself had an impact on the development of the religious ideas. The full story is much more complex than Weber's partial account, and Weber himself constantly reminds his readers about his own limitations. The book itself has an introduction and five chapters. The first three chapters make up

Specific elements of society are best understood through Weber's historical cultural approach such as religious foundations that impacted the economic organization in society. Weber's idea around this was that the growth that occurs in entrepreneurship is reliant upon ethical values that society holds. Religion holds strong beliefs in society and the idea to work hard in order to do good and achieve more. Being that religion is

This stress upon the benefits of work fueled capitalist development. However, critics of Weber point out nascent forms of capitalism had developed before Protestantism. They also believe that he misinterpreted Calvinism and Puritanism. But while some Puritans may not have been as economically-minded as Weber would suggest, there is no doubt that by the 16th and 17th centuries, preachers like John Cotton were advocating God "would have his best gifts

Weber’s most distinctive and most famous contributions in his classical work, “The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism”. Weber indeed emphasized the importance of religious doctrines and ethical precepts and values must be taken into account as well as among other variables. He assigned special importance to ascetic, achievement oriented values, which encourage entrepreneurs to work hard and at the same time to refrain from enjoying the fruit of their labour,(Halevy 1981, P.37). These are values, which encourage entrepreneurs to make profits and not to expend them on consumption, but rather to re-invest them so as to make additional profit.