The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

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The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

by Max Weber, Michael D. Coe, Talcott Parsons (Translator), R.H. Tawney (Foreword by)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 3,641 ratings · 168 reviews

This brilliant study opposes the Marxist concept of dialectical materialism and its view that change takes place through the conflict of opposites. Instead, Weber relates the rise of a capitalist economy to the Puritan determination to work out anxiety over salvation or damnation by performing good deeds — an effort that ultimately encouraged capitalism.

Paperback, 320 pages

Published April 4th 2003 by Dover Publications (first published 1904)

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Mar 13, 2010 Eric_W rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy

For years we have been assaulted by politicians and religious leaders preaching the Christian "work ethic," yet I find little justification, if any, for the concept anywhere in the New Testament. I happened to be discussing this with my dad a while ago, who also happens to be one of the smartest people I know, and he recommended Weber’s book. First published in 1905, it provoked considerable controversy.

Weber's thought was grounded in a belief that history is of critical portance to the social...more For years we have been assaulted by politicians and religious leaders preaching the Christian "work ethic," yet I find little justification, if any, for the concept anywhere in the New Testament. I happened to be discussing this with my dad a while ago, who also happens to be one of the smartest people I know, and he recommended Weber’s book. First published in 1905, it provoked considerable controversy.

Weber's thought was grounded in a belief that history is of critical portance to the social sciences and that material factors had enormous influence upon the course of history — I didn't know any of this, I'm stealing it from the introduction. Weber was very critical of Marxism, but shared with Marx a concern for the evolution of industrialism capitalism. In the first few chapters, Weber defines what he means by capitalism. It's not just the pursuit of wealth that has been common to numerous cultures, but is an activity associated with the rational organization of formally free labor (his italics). Capitalism requires an organized labor force and a ready source of investment capital. Some of these factors were not present in Hindu and Confucian societies. Hinduism, in particular its tradition of caste, prevented the ready organization of the labor force. Also, its emphasis on asceticism focused toward the otherworldly and afterlife, and tended to accentuate the non-material. Trade was highly developed in China as in India, but Confucianism permitted a more material focus. The Calvinist ethic combined Judaism's "ethical prophecy" that encouraged emulation of the prophet with the eastern traditions to form a philosophy of reformation, i.e. achieve salvation through reforming the world by means of economic activity.

The development of the Western city was also important because they provided the foundation for political autonomy and the creation of a bourgeois society. Eastern civilizations were hampered by strong kinship relationships that crossed the agrarian-urban boundaries which tied the cities more firmly to an agrarian tradition. The problem that Weber articulates is that the Puritan wanted to work in a calling, for his salvation. That "work ethic" was harnessed by capitalism because we have to work, the sale of our labor being the only means to material satisfaction.

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Feb 26, 2012 Anthony D Buckley rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the central disputes in Protestantism had long been that between the Calvinists and the Arminians. The Calvinist believed that every person had been chosen by God in the beginning to be either saved or damned, and that there was nothing anybody could do to change his decision. These “elect” individuals could not be certain of their salvation, but they might be identified by their tendency to live lives of piety and goodness. In contrast, the followers of Arminius thought that each individ...more One of the central disputes in Protestantism had long been that between the Calvinists and the Arminians. The Calvinist believed that every person had been chosen by God in the beginning to be either saved or damned, and that there was nothing anybody could do to change his decision. These “elect” individuals could not be certain of their salvation, but they might be identified by their tendency to live lives of piety and goodness. In contrast, the followers of Arminius thought that each individual could hope to gain salvation by repenting his sins and by asking God to bestow his Grace. In the United Kingdom, Calvinism was centrally been found in Scots and Ulster Presbyterianism, while Arminianism had ruled among Anglicans and Methodists.

From the great revivals of the 1850s steadily until the Great War, this great divide began to dissipate. A new division was emerging between “liberals” and “conservatives”. Nevertheless, the old disputes limped on, still quite strenuously among Ulster Presbyterians who fought a bitter if obscure theological battle over church music. So when a list of “fundamental principles” was formulated to unite conservative Christianity, these American “fundamentalists” tiptoed carefully to avoid stirring up the old dispute. They made no mention of individuals turning to or putting trust in God, and no mention of predestination.

Weber’s most famous study has its focus in the Calvinists. Calvin established a new kind of saintliness for merchants and artisans living first of all in Geneva, but later in London, Amsterdam and Edinburgh and then further afield. The piety of the Calvinists had strong echoes of an older piety found in the best of the monasteries. Like the monks, the life of a dutiful Calvinist was one of hard work and diligence, frugality and seriousness with little frivolity. Since everything was pre-ordained, this life of obedience and frugality could not be hoped to bring salvation. Rather, it was a mere subservience to God’s Law which, in Calvin’s system, replaced the Rule of the great monastic leaders. Calvinism also claimed the right of the Elect to rule over the non-Elect in a theocratic political system.

The monks, in pursuing pious obedience, poverty and chastity had inadvertently made their houses and their orders rich. So it was with the pious businessmen. They too lived frugally and worked hard. Without really intending to, the Calvinists made themselves and their households rich. This was the so-called “Protestant ethic” identified by Weber as giving birth to capitalism.

After the Great War, Calvinism slipped finally from view, overtaken, diluted and absorbed by the Arminian doctrine that now became Protestant “conservative” or “evangelical” orthodoxy. Protestants conservatives were now universally enjoined to turn to God, to confess their sins and put their trust in a God who would reciprocate by offering salvation. The few people who still called themselves Calvinists merely emphasised the last part of this process, the positive activity of God. There were still other movements within Protestantism, the enlightened theology of the Quakers or the Unitarians, for example, and the High Church found in Anglicanism, both of which, however, were more important as belonging to the liberal camp. But it was now a different theological world.
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Jul 13, 2010 Elfdart added it · review of another edition

this book was somewhat difficult to get through because of the footnotes (i have trouble with footnotes), once you get that point though, it’s a fantastic book. it discusses why the capitalist system we have now, and the morality we have now is the way it is. we have all heard of the protestant ethic yes? it is that you must work hard, without pleasuring yourself too much, for the sake of pleasing god. working as hard as you can allows a person to ‘most effectively’ utilize the gifts god has giv...more this book was somewhat difficult to get through because of the footnotes (i have trouble with footnotes), once you get that point though, it’s a fantastic book. it discusses why the capitalist system we have now, and the morality we have now is the way it is. we have all heard of the protestant ethic yes? it is that you must work hard, without pleasuring yourself too much, for the sake of pleasing god. working as hard as you can allows a person to ‘most effectively’ utilize the gifts god has given them, but they cannot take pleasure in the fruits if this because too much pleasure would result in the breaking of some sin, greed or sloth or what have you, pretty much all of them can be connected i’m sure. but if you can’t have fun with what you’re working so hard to create, why work so hard? because you are pleasing god, setting yourself up for the next life if you will. well this is wonderful for a historical reference, but we’re very much secularized in society today so why does any of this matter? well, weber contends that a man named calvin (yes calvinism) took the protestant ethic and tied it to capitalism. calvin took the protestant ethic, which was good because it got things done with little complaint from the workers, and connected it to the economic system by turning god into money. we can imagine the problems with this, if nothing else, there would be trouble behind the fact that what motivated people before was spiritual, and now we expect the same results because of different motivations. that’s like using a car to float down a river instead of a boat. ya cars go forward wonderfully, on the medium they were designed for.
so now we all ascetically put ourselves into our work towards the end of making more money. i’m not a history buff so i don’t know if this is true or was just used as an example of how religion effected capitalism, but i don’t really care as i can see the connections between the protesant ethic and our capitalist morality.
weber calls where we are now the iron cage, kind of pessimistic, but he believes that now we’re here, we’re stuck here. we can’t get out of the mental state we are in now, which i don’t necessarily agree with, but can see how someone could. if you leave the economic system today, chances are you’ll end up on the street. i think this is my favourite quote, it’s right at the end of the book and sums up the final point quite well.
"No one knows who will live in this cage in the future, or whether at the end of this tremendous development entirely new prophets will arise, or there will be a great rebirth of old ideas and ideals, or, if neither, mechanized petrification, embellished with a sort of convulsive self- importance. For the last stage of this cultural development, it might well be truly said: Specialists without spirit, sensualists without heart; this nullity imagines that it has attained a level of civilization never achieved before"
an eye opener to say the least, but a really good read.(less)

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Feb 04, 2013 Andreas Stalidis rated it 5 of 5 stars

One must be careful with the words that Weber uses: "Protestant ethic" and "Spirit of Capitalism". This book is also about understanding capitalism.

Let's start from the basics: Capitalism existed long before Protestantism. Capitalism existed long before Weber's days form of Capitalism. Let's call this modern capitalism, as opposed to ancient capitalism. There is a stark distinction between them: modern capitalism is using a moral language. Continuous re-investing of profits, not living luxury li...more One must be careful with the words that Weber uses: "Protestant ethic" and "Spirit of Capitalism". This book is also about understanding capitalism.

Let's start from the basics: Capitalism existed long before Protestantism. Capitalism existed long before Weber's days form of Capitalism. Let's call this modern capitalism, as opposed to ancient capitalism. There is a stark distinction between them: modern capitalism is using a moral language. Continuous re-investing of profits, not living luxury lives (or not stopping earning more when one can achieve its original goal to earn a luxury life for themselves) and hard working up until the end of the capitalist's life no matter the age, just for the shake of it, all those are characteristics that describe more a moral duty to do so, rather than plain profit-taking activity.

Transformation of ancient capitalism to modern capitalism occurred only through the Calvinist approach of Protestantism. It could not have occurred otherwise..

How was this done?

Let's do another step back. Weber's approach to religion was unprecedented, in his time. He took the antipodal stance from Karl Marx on this. Marx, as a reductionist considered religion to be "nothing more than economics". Weber suggested quite the opposite: religion is an independent variable that could well affect all others, even in terms of constructing a full scale economic theory and its application into the real world.

With the Reformation, Protestant Christians rejected the idea that they should necessarily belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved. Any profession could well be equally dignified, as priesthood or monkhood. The door has opened that the individual relation with God could well be a way of saving oneself. With the notion of "predestination" (that came from Calvinism), people were looking for signs for God's glory. Acquired wealth could serve this purpose, but not in itself. The way of spending one's earning was vital. Not on luxury goods, nor on expensive life-style, nor on stopping working in order to live on so far earnings.

The perfect match was done. The Protestant (Calvinist) Ethic provided Capitalism with the appropriate spirit to dominate the world.

The above is my understanding of Weber's thesis, in a nutshell.

Weber looked a lot into statistics and correlation between Protestant dominated societies and business activities etc. He is quite convincing of his analysis. (less)

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May 08, 2012 Trevor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: economics, social-theory

I think you could get away with reading just chapter five of this one - that is where the guts of the argument is. It is not that the rest of the book is completely uninteresting, but it is much less interesting. It is in this final chapter that the real thesis is worked out.

A thumbnail version goes like this. There appears to be lots more Protestant capitalists than there are Catholic ones. Also, Protestant countries tend to be more economically developed than Catholic ones - so why? Marxism w...more I think you could get away with reading just chapter five of this one - that is where the guts of the argument is. It is not that the rest of the book is completely uninteresting, but it is much less interesting. It is in this final chapter that the real thesis is worked out.

A thumbnail version goes like this. There appears to be lots more Protestant capitalists than there are Catholic ones. Also, Protestant countries tend to be more economically developed than Catholic ones - so why? Marxism would say that people's ideas are a manifestation of the economic structure they find themselves in, but Weber believes this is only partly true, although he starts off strongly opposed to Marxism, in the end he is much less certain of the limits of the role of economics in providing the base for these ideas to flourish.. All the same, he believes that there is something in Protestantism that makes Capitalism more or less inevitable and that is not present in Catholicism.

Now, given the countries picked - Italy and Spain on the Catholic side, Northern Europe and England on the Protestant side, you could possibly argue that living in a country with an incredibly bad cuisine is the problem. But Weber focuses on religion. In the last chapter he says that extreme Protestant views run something like this - God has a perfect plan which he worked out at the dawn of time. There is nothing you can do to change this plan. You don't deserve to be saved - no one does (we are all contemptible sinners and it is only God's grace which saves us in any sense). You cannot know you are saved. The only way you might 'guess' is if God rewards you. So, if you work hard and gain riches you are obviously in God's favour and therefore you might also be saved. Spending money is a sin. So, Calvinism and other extreme sects encouraged people to work hard and not to spend - prerequisites for the growth of Capitalism.

Now, that bit is the bit this book is mostly known for. But what I found interesting was the idea at the very end that becoming increasingly wealthy - like Silus Marner - also leads one to become increasingly obsessed with secular interests, not least in increasing ones own wealth to the point of a fetish and to become obsessed with worldly goods, rather than heavenly ones. So, while Protestantism is seen as a kind of prerequisite for the early development of Capitalism, ironically enough, Capitalism does not return the favour and works to undermine the extreme forms of this faith that assisted its own development.

Interesting stuff.(less)

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Aug 15, 2011 P.J. Sullivan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

When feudalism broke down in the Late Middle Ages, Weber argues, the capitalism that emerged in its place was an entirely new ethos, accompanied by a peculiar Puritan ethic that dignified the accumulation of wealth as a sign of divine favor. The "spirit" of capitalism was distinct from the impulse to acquisition, which was nothing new in the 16th century. It was the pursuit of perpetually-renewed profit, for its own sake, above and beyond the satisfaction of traditional human needs. But what was...more

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Aug 11, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok. with all the stuff I am in the middle of and what is on deck., how did i happen to finish this??? Well, it wasn't' very long, it was in the boxes to be purged, i felt guilty to refer to it without ever having read it, and I heard that Barbara Ehrenreich has a new afterword to Nickel and Dimed (which I am read--basically she says we treat poverty like a crime now) so i figured i would go to the source as it were....

Funny, I remember the key concepts without having read it, and for that matte...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Amit rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has and continues to recieve positive acclaim. However, Weber's work is not only Euro-centric and anti-Catholic, but relies on the use of a dichotamous inclusive-exclusive framework of logic.

At the introduction of the text, the author endeavours to demonstrate the uniqueness of ‘Western’ civilization relative to others as well as emphasize its alleged “universal significance and value” . At first glance, being different and universal appears to be paradoxical. However, the author over...more This book has and continues to recieve positive acclaim. However, Weber's work is not only Euro-centric and anti-Catholic, but relies on the use of a dichotamous inclusive-exclusive framework of logic.

At the introduction of the text, the author endeavours to demonstrate the uniqueness of ‘Western’ civilization relative to others as well as emphasize its alleged “universal significance and value” . At first glance, being different and universal appears to be paradoxical. However, the author overcomes inconsistency by using a framework that illustrates through a series of comparative examples the ways in which the west prevails as a center of universality. The universality of Western civilization is clearly understood to be a “specific” and yet solely “valid” rationalism that underlines its every cultural attribute . In systematically comparing aspects such as natural science, music, architecture, and capitalism , the author creates a narrative that does not merely reveal the differences between western civilization and non-western civilizations (particularly those of a so-called “Orient”). It also demonstrates the existence of a universal characteristic within western civilization that is lacking in the others. Thus, in implementing this framework, the author is able to develop a logically consistent assertion that the West is both distinct and universal.

By no means does Weber restrict his usage of a dichotomous inclusion-exclusion framework to his introduction. In formulating the notion of two historic opposing forces designated “spirit of capitalism” and “traditionalism” , the author is able to neatly designate details in such a way as to ensure that they always contribute to and never contradict his arguments. In short, Weber’s ability to categorize prevents any disruption to the logical flow of his narrative.
When evaluating the pre-Protestant moral systems, the author is able to consider Catholic morality as merely requiring “external devotion” by categorically excluding it as traditionalist. Conveniently though, when assessing Protestantism’s maintenance of the pre-existing Old Testament morality, the author considers this related to the “powerful impetus” of a spirit of “self-righteous and sober legality” integral to “worldly asceticism” by categorically including it as a necessary ingredient of the spirit of capitalism. Furthermore, while Weber can include Luther’s biblical notion of the “calling” as part of the Protestant Ethic’s ideological chronology by considering it foundational to the spirit of capitalism, he is also able to exclude Luther’s largely non-worldly interpretation of the bible by designating it “traditionalistic” .
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Apr 21, 2010 Rhonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sociology

I have been reading this book over the last several weeks and I admit that it has been tough going. I first ran into this tome as a sophomopre in high school.. and immediately fell in love with Weber's passion, his three page paragraphs and sentences so long that they would make Hegel blush.I had read some psychology and I was suspicious of such writings, suspecting that someone who wrote (or studied) psychology probably had a few things wrong, but sociology was like psychology without people......more I have been reading this book over the last several weeks and I admit that it has been tough going. I first ran into this tome as a sophomopre in high school.. and immediately fell in love with Weber's passion, his three page paragraphs and sentences so long that they would make Hegel blush.I had read some psychology and I was suspicious of such writings, suspecting that someone who wrote (or studied) psychology probably had a few things wrong, but sociology was like psychology without people... and I loved the concept of groups of people acting in this very defined and therefore predictable manner. To me it was like seeing the underworkings at Disney World... and it was almost like magic. No, actually it was magic!
Of course the great tome is divided into two separate part and I loved the teutonic sense of order. When you get to an end of a section, all you know is that you have read enough arguments on the issue to feel sated. This time I wanted to be convinced.
Alas it was not to be, although Weber is still my favorite of the classic sociologists, Durkheim a close second. Still this time I was able to understand a great deal more when in high school most of tose Reformation guys were just names in a book. I knew Calvin was a determinist, something I still find quite strange, but that's another issue. Rreading quotes fromn Luther and Bradley and Franklin was just exalted.
The huge trouble is, of course, that the correlation between events is always a rationalization, kind of like post hoc ergo propter hoc. This wonderful argument concerning the spirit of capitalism seems much more likely to correlate to the rise in literacy rather than some disvestiture of value or even deterministic triangles. Weber to his credit forsaw what the modern alienated worker would be like and it's like living in a time come true. It's too bad none of this could have been used to prevent today's wealth redistribution concepts.
Of course it's easy to throw rocks now, but the point remains that Weber saw today's alienated spiritless society, left without values and redefining the past. It's a heady read but one worth a sincere effort. Anyhthing else wil leave you lost.(less)

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Sep 22, 2009 Peter Namtvedt rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those who like theories of history

Recommended to Peter by: some professor

This is somewhat of an academic book. My first inclination was to call it non-fiction. But if it suggests in any way that greed is good, it must be made-up. And greed of a kind ranks quite high here.

The thesis seems to be that the prime cause for the development of capitalism was Calvinist Christianity. There are Catholics who would quarrel about this. The Calvinists were the part of the Reformation, the Protestants, who believed in predestination. If god knows everything, including the future,...more This is somewhat of an academic book. My first inclination was to call it non-fiction. But if it suggests in any way that greed is good, it must be made-up. And greed of a kind ranks quite high here.

The thesis seems to be that the prime cause for the development of capitalism was Calvinist Christianity. There are Catholics who would quarrel about this. The Calvinists were the part of the Reformation, the Protestants, who believed in predestination. If god knows everything, including the future, then what will happen is already decided. The following is fictionalized background.

How can we win? We cannot lose if god has already decided we will go to heaven. So, since nothing we do makes a difference, we are free to choose to live loose lives or to live exemplary lives.

Ah, but the issue is whether we can KNOW. So if we are predestined to be saved, surely we won't live in squalor on earth. We will know that we are among the blessed if our work, our efforts, our risk-taking and inventiveness here on earth is fruitful. So we throw our full weight on the wheel and work as smartly as we can. And if we become wealthy, it means god is smiling at us.

So we become capitalists.

But over at Patheos.com (http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Addi...) someone wrestled with this book and their conscience deemed "Greed, for Weber, was not a rational pursuit; rather, greed was rooted in the idea of profit for minimum effort. Greed, according to Weber, was not a component of capitalism. As he wrote, "Unlimited Greed for Gain, is not in the least identical to capitalism, and is still less its spirit. Capitalism may even be identical with restraint, or at least a rational tempering of this irrational impulse."

I must comment in whispers that rational pursuits do not seek no profits or a minimum profit at maximum effort. Humans have two ways of making a living: the economic way, by working as much as it takes to make the most OR the political or criminal way, by having others work for my living (under which violent crime and selling derivatives also belong).

Our writer at Pathos also opines: "Ian Markham tackles the question dead on with "Is Greed so Bad?" claiming that blatant cases of greed are very rare, and in fact, that the problem of the investment bankers and mortgage brokers was not greed -- it was stupidity."

All of us, including the idiot victims of Bernie Madoff, should remember "caveat emptor" and take responsibility. It is foolish to plan to have government prevent every ill that might befall you. The official policy of police departments are to preserve the peace and public safety, not to save you from burglars and killers. Call 911 and die OR defend yourself.

Adam Smith identified a law when he told us that it is not out of unselfish concern for us that the butchers, bakers and brewers provide good things for our lives, but self-interest. If we then are watchful for bad bargains, we should not care if the merchants seek just an adequate income or are greedily after all the money in town. There are also, everywhere, laws against fraud.

I found this book hard to read, not quite believable, yet still worth having read and good to have heard/read many arguments for and against.

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May 17, 2012 Cărăşălu rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ai naibii de grea cartea, mai ales pentru o minte profană. Stilul lui e Weber e groaznic, cu fraze extrem de întortocheate, ceea ce face urmărirea firului ideii foarte dificilă. O bună parte din carte se axează pe analiza dogmelor diverselor curente protestante, iar dacă nu știi prea multe despre ele, argumentarea lui Weber e un vîrtej în care te pierzi și nu mai înțelegi nimic. Ideea de bază e însă interesantă și trebuie înțeleasă în toată specificitatea ei, de unde și minuțiozitatea argumentăr...more

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Aug 03, 2010 Brett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: economics, history, philosophy, religion

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a book that I have long been wont to reference in arguments, especially if I've been drinking, but was always hampered by the fact that I had not actually read it. Well, that problem has now been solved and I am on somewhat more solid ground when I use it to back up some point I'm trying to make.

I have to be careful in analyzing the value of Weber's argument, because both capitalism and religous belief systems are two things of which I have lo...more The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a book that I have long been wont to reference in arguments, especially if I've been drinking, but was always hampered by the fact that I had not actually read it. Well, that problem has now been solved and I am on somewhat more solid ground when I use it to back up some point I'm trying to make.

I have to be careful in analyzing the value of Weber's argument, because both capitalism and religous belief systems are two things of which I have long been distrustful, and my natural tendancy is to want to lump them together for that reason. However, I'm going to try to be more objective.

Weber's books is considered a major sociological text, and I found it a difficult but worthwhile read. Typically it is set up as a argument against Marx's theory of a dialectical material history, but I'm not sure Weber would entirely agree with that blunt of a statement. Instead, I think it is more useful, as Weber repeatedly acknowledges, to think of the relationship between captialism and the protestant ethic as one of many causal factors in the rise of the capitalism, another of which is the materialist factors emphasized by Marx and other socalists.

Weber's thesis revolves around changes in human behavior caused by the rise of the doctrine of predestination, as preached by Calvinists and the sects that were influenced by Calvin (in Weber's estimation, these sects are Calvinists, Baptists, Methodists, Pietists, Quakers, and Mennonites, though not Lutherans). Since we are predestined to our lot in life, your vocation is actually something you have been "called" to by God, and an efficient and humble attitude about your work reflects your faith. In addition, the "elect", or those bound for salvation, demonstrate their election by living lives of frugality and obedience to God, creating a class of workers much more suitable to capitalist production than those with other belief systems. This is a gross oversimplifcation, but I don't think is too far off the mark.

While there is a degree of inherent sense in what Weber is talking about, there is not much in the way of numerical justification for his thoughts: the statistics he cites are less than impressive regarding the financial outcomes of families with various relgious beliefs, even after he tries to control for other factors. However, I do give him some credit for the vigorous defense of his thesis that he makes to his critics, which is included in the Penguin edition of the book that I read. Also, his manner of notation is maddening, as one is constantly flipping back and forth through his manuscript to read his notes, which are just as long as the actual essay, and would make for much easier reading if they were just included as part of the base text.

I'm glad to have read this seminal work, and will now cite it with more authority on those occasions when I am engaging in ill-advised argumentation at cocktail parties and bars.(less)

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Apr 27, 2011 Fred R rated it 4 of 5 stars

Much better than I anticipated. Its reputation seems wholly deserved, although in summary it is merely prolegomena.

I desired, at times, less theological exegesis, and a more practical discussion of the effect of religious practices. I was also somewhat confused as to how the conflict between predestination and acquiring merit by good works is resolved. There are work-arounds that he discusses, but I wish he was more explicit on this issue.

The book does not convince as a story of cause and effec...more

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Nov 14, 2009 Vern Glaser rated it 3 of 5 stars

very interesting book from another father of sociology.

the title made me think that this was a pro-Christian interpretation of how the positive dimension of the Protestant work ethic transformed society. it is a little more complex than this though. he basically argues that the calvinist concept of predestination creates a works-mentality where everyone works hard at their vocational calling because blessing in vocational calling is a way to achieve assurance of salvation. the religious initiati...more

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Jan 05, 2008 Zoe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy

Although this is very Eurocentric, it was ground-breaking at the time. Also, it is fascinating to look at the connections between religious beliefs and social practices. Having lived in Italy definitely brought me face to face with my own Calvinist origins, and the black and white vision that that philosophy brings with it.

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Oct 29, 2007 Draco3seven Crawdady rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: socio-and-cultural-philosophy

Webber describes one of the mechanisms of modernity or more precisely influencing factors of capitalisms as the protestant ethic or as he puts it the ethic of greed. What he points out is that along with the development of capitalism so also a set of ethical standards developed conducive to these goals of capitalism.

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Sep 06, 2012 Dylan Suher rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While I don't even know if I agree with the thesis (I most strongly object to Weber's assertions that these features are particularly Western, and I am doubtful about the causal link---although Weber did not seek to make a simplistic causal argument), it's hard not to admire an argument so clearly and carefully made. I was particularly fascinated with the strange cult of rationality that Weber reveals. Nothing about this book stands out as clearly in my mind as Weber's sharp observation of the b...more While I don't even know if I agree with the thesis (I most strongly object to Weber's assertions that these features are particularly Western, and I am doubtful about the causal link---although Weber did not seek to make a simplistic causal argument), it's hard not to admire an argument so clearly and carefully made. I was particularly fascinated with the strange cult of rationality that Weber reveals. Nothing about this book stands out as clearly in my mind as Weber's sharp observation of the businessman who always seeks a profit, not for the sake of money, but for reasons so beyond him that even the idea of providing a justification or motive seems strange to him.

"If you ask them what is the meaning of their restless activity, why they are never satisfied with what they have, they would perhaps give the answer, if they know any at all: 'to provide for my children and grandchildren.'But more often and, since that motive is not peculiar to them, but was just as effective for the traditionalist, more correctly, simply: that business with its continuous work has become a necessary part of their lives. That is in fact the only possible motivation, but it at the same time expresses what is, seen from the view-point of personal happiness, so irrational about this sort of life, where a man exists for the sake of his business, instead of the reverse."

"That powerful tendency towards the uniformity of life, which today so immensely aids the capitalistic interest in the standardization of production, has its ideal foundations in the repudiation of all idolatry of the flesh."

"The peculiar position of the old Hebrew ethic, as compared with the closely related ethics of Egypt and Babylon, and its development after the time of the prophets, rested, as is shown there, entirely on this fundamental fact, the rejection of sacramental magic as a road to salvation."

"It would have been easy to proceed beyond that to a regular construction which logically deduced everything characteristic of modern culture from Protestant rationalism. But that sort of thing may be left to the type of dilettante who believes in the unity of the group mind and its reducibility to a single formula."(less)

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Feb 09, 2011 Bill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gml-dmin, history, theology

This is a very interesting book. It is a little difficult to read, having been translated from German, but it is well worth the extra effort.

Weber analyzes the growth of Capitalism from out of the rising Protestant spirituality of modern Europe (as well as the USA). His assertion is that Capitalism rose from the dominant Christian belief that wealth was s sign of blessing from God, bestowed upon His people as they pursued their "calling" from Him. However, this same blessing, when pursued, fed a...more This is a very interesting book. It is a little difficult to read, having been translated from German, but it is well worth the extra effort.

Weber analyzes the growth of Capitalism from out of the rising Protestant spirituality of modern Europe (as well as the USA). His assertion is that Capitalism rose from the dominant Christian belief that wealth was s sign of blessing from God, bestowed upon His people as they pursued their "calling" from Him. However, this same blessing, when pursued, fed a dangerous appetite for more and more consumption of material goods.

I appreciated the quote from John Wesley used by Weber:

"I fear, wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion. Therefore I do not see how it is possible, in the nature of things, for any revival of true religion to continue long...as riches increase, so will pride, anger, and love of the world in all its branches...Is there no way to prevent this--this continual decay of pure religion? We ought not to prevent people from being diligent and frugal; we must exhort all Christians to gain all they can, and to save all they can; that is, in effect, to grow rich."

Wealth was seen as a blessing from God as one pursued his "calling" from God through his work. Yet this same blessing produced all sorts of evils in his life.

Today, as we examine the materialistic world in which we live, especially the USA, we can truly appreciate the words of Wesley. Wealth can indeed corrupt, as people pursue financial gain over the welfare of others.

But should we give up the pursuit of wealth? After all, wealth can be used for good as well as for evil.

Rather than give up our pursuit (though some may be called by God to do this), perhaps we should continue to strive to find the best uses of our wealth, remembering that the "blessing from God" comes to us in trust--we are charged to use that blessing for the betterment of God's kingdom. We are stewards, possessing heavy responsibilities.

As a member of the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, I have a tremendous burden to carry. Though I am not "rich" by Western standards, I am extremely wealthy compared to most of the rest of the world. The "little" I have, is indeed "much."

May we use our wealth for the good of the world.
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Jul 04, 2011 Maureen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this in college but really want to recommend it if you have the patience to get into a dense, school-type book when you don't have to. I liked how it explored the idea that our current economic system didn't evolve by "natural selection/survival of the fittest," making capitalism the best system established so far simply by virtue of its current existence. Instead, it posits that American colonialists held certain (Protestant) values regarding what makes a good person and what gets people...more

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Oct 24, 2010 Joan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sociology

This ended up being a really good book. Ever heard of the "Protestant work ethic?" That's what it's about.

The gist is that Protestantism fueled the development of modern capitalism in that it stressed hard work (instead of Catholic sacraments) as a way to grace, yet still held asceticism as a central principle.

What happens when you work and don't spend? The necessary premise to modern capitalism: accumulation.

Protestants, then, stopped seeing accumulation as sinful in and of itself so long as i...more

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Apr 24, 2011 John rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, school, teaching

The rating I have given this, I hasten to add, is not for the text itself, but for the edition, which is pretty shoddy. What it looks like to me is that they scanned it using OCR software, and then did a poor job of fixing the mistakes that such a process inevitably leaves behind. In any case, there is a typo on nearly every page-- often more than one. Some are insignificant, but others could impact the reader's understanding, especially if one is approaching it without a lot of background.

The...more

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Aug 10, 2009 leighcia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This is perhaps one of the most quoted and most famous works of social science. Unfortunately, it can be tedious and dense to read as Weber traces the development of the spirit of capitalism from the protestant understanding of work and labour. He spends quite a bit of time explaining the different religious sects of Protestantism, setting up his question and justifying his conclusions. His most compelling chapter is the final one, entitled, “Asceticism and the Spirit of Capitalism”, which trace...more

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Jan 16, 2009 Helena rated it 5 of 5 stars

My first breath of pure air!

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Mar 31, 2010 Artemis Nitzband rated it 4 of 5 stars

Geez. For years I have heard about this book and I finally took the time to read it. It is a bit over my head...but I did enjoy it. I used a dictionary and Google many times! Published in 1905 it's renown by many as having an enduring impact on the field of economic history. Some have claimed Weber was not an economist, but rather a sociologist. My interest is sociology and that is why I finally read this book. Weber's comparisons of Catholics and Protestants in relation to their personal relati...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In The Protestant Ethic, Max Weber opposes the Marxist concept of dialectical materialism and relates the rise of the capitalist economy to the Calvinist belief in the moral value of hard work and the fulfillment of one's worldly duties. Based on the original 1905 edition, this volume includes, along with Weber's treatise, an illuminating introduction, a wealth of explanatory notes, and exemplary responses and remarks-both from Weber and his critics-sparked by publication of The Protestant Ethic...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Silouan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Anyone who's puzzled by the current "Prosperity Gospel" should read Weber's book, or at least be familiar with it.

Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen, and others who preach bluntly that God wants you to be rich are not making up their beliefs in a vacuum. They are building on a foundation laid by European Calvinism and the Puritanism of the American colonists.

Weber explains the bridge between medieval Catholic monastic vocation and the Protestant work ethic which saw prosperity as evidence of God's b...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Taede Smedes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy

Dit hoofdwerk van de socioloog Max Weber (1864-1920) verscheen oorspronkelijk in 1905 in het Duits. Deze vertaling baseert zich op de standaarduitgave uit 1920. Het is de allereerste Nederlandse vertaling van deze klassieker van de godsdienstsociologie, waarin Weber betoogt dat een ascetisch calvinisme aan de basis ligt van het huidige, moderne kapitalistische systeem. Hij wijst met name op de puriteins-strenge Calvijnse interpretatie van de predestinatieleer als een stimulans voor een ascetisch...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Pedro Caldas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sociologia, favorites

Ah, os clássicos. Podem estar datados, sobretudo no que diz respeito à pesquisa empírica. Muita coisa é descoberta não muito tempo após sua publicação. Mas sempre algo permanece. Um livro como “A Ética protestante e o Espírito do capitalismo” é fundamental não por ter revolucionar a pesquisa da sociologia da religião ou coisa que o valha. Mas porque pensa a fundo o surgimento do homem moderno. Se encostarmos bem o ouvido, perceberemos que Weber está falando de cada um de nós. Portanto, por mais...more Ah, os clássicos. Podem estar datados, sobretudo no que diz respeito à pesquisa empírica. Muita coisa é descoberta não muito tempo após sua publicação. Mas sempre algo permanece. Um livro como “A Ética protestante e o Espírito do capitalismo” é fundamental não por ter revolucionar a pesquisa da sociologia da religião ou coisa que o valha. Mas porque pensa a fundo o surgimento do homem moderno. Se encostarmos bem o ouvido, perceberemos que Weber está falando de cada um de nós. Portanto, por mais irônico que seja (basta ler “Ciência como vocação”), azar dos especialistas.

A Reforma protestante, celebrada por muitos como uma das conquistas da liberdade moderna, pode ser vista sob outro ângulo, menos alvissareiro: “A Reforma significou não tanto a eliminação da vida eclesiástica sobre a vida de um modo geral, quanto a substituição de sua forma vigente por uma outra. E substituição de uma dominação extremamente cômoda, que na época mal se fazia sentir na prática, quase só formal muitas vezes, por uma regulamentação levada a sério e infinitamente incômoda da conduta de vida como um todo, que penetrava todas as esferas da vida doméstica e pública até os limites do concebível” (p.30).

É o que Weber chama de a “tirania puritana” como fator capaz de pensar o desenvolvimento econômico nos países capitalistas mais ricos. E mais ainda: subjugar-se a esta tirania levaria a uma forma de heroísmo burguês que, paradoxalmente, Weber veria como uma virtude em “Ciência como vocação” e em textos sobre política. Este heroísmo se revela em uma atitude de resistência perante um mundo desencantado, um mundo que não permite nada de mágico, sensível, sequer ritualístico. Um mundo que deve apenas ser administrado, vigiado, controlado, supervisionado.

Mas o que é mais fascinante, para uma teoria e metodologia das ciências humanas (a história aí naturalmente incluída) é como este processo se desenvolve sem que suas consequências tenham passado pela cabeça de Lutero, Calvino e outros um anseio pelo progresso industrial – na verdade, o protestantismo antigo era, como nota Weber, um declarado inimigo da “aspectos inteiros da vida moderna” (p.38). Esta é a razão de ser da explicação causal nas ciências humanas. Buscar articulações entre áreas distintas da ação humana, dando origem a processos que só podem ser reconstruídos hipoteticamente e a posteriori.

Isto, naturalmente, nos permite entender até mesmo o título do livro: Espírito do capitalismo. Este (o espírito) é algo intangível, imperceptível para os próprios agentes sociais, culturais e econômicos: “ganhar dinheiro e sempre mais dinheiro, no mais rigoroso resguardo de todo gozo imediato do dinheiro ganho, algo tão completamente despido de todos os pontos de vista eudemonistas ou mesmo hedonistas e pensando tão exclusivamente como fim em si mesmo, que, em comparação com a “felicidade do indivíduo” ou sua “utilidade”, aparece em todo caso como inteiramente transcendente e simplesmente irracional. O ser humano em função do ganho como finalidade da vida, não mais o ganho em função do ser humano como meio destinado a satisfazer suas necessidades materiais” (p.46).

Uma nota: o diálogo com Marx é aqui evidente. O problema é o mesmo: a inversão alienante (em termos marxistas) e irracional (em termos weberianos) na relação entre ganho e necessidade. Um processo de desumanização e racionalização. Weber ouviu direitinho o recado de Marx, mas resolveu explica-lo de outra maneira, deixando de lado o materialismo e aplicando a categoria idealista de Espírito.

E é aqui que a elegância da interpretação de Weber entra em cena. Se, de um lado, é necessário se emancipar da visão de que “(...) se pode deduzir a Reforma das transformações econômicas como algo necessário em termos de desenvolvimento histórico” (p.82), por outro, “(...) não se deve de forma alguma defender uma tese tão disparadamente doutrinária que afirmasse por exemplo: o ´espírito capitalista´ (...) pôde surgir somente como o resultado de determinados influxos da Reforma (...)” (idem). A compreensão de um fenômeno histórico, portanto, é bem mais sutil, pois depende da contingência dada na relação concreta entre duas esferas heterogêneas da vida humana (economia e religião, ganho material da vida e fé): “Trata-se apenas de averiguar se, e até que ponto, influxos religiosos contribuíram para a cunhagem qualitativa desse ´espírito´ mundo afora” (p.82).

A riqueza da interpretação de Weber, a meu ver, ultrapassa até mesmo a pertinência da análise dessas averiguações, sempre provisórias e pontuais (mesmo porque é complicado exigir resultados definitivos e mesmo dogmáticos de um autor que jamais pretendeu tal objetivo). O problema é mais profundo: aqui está em jogo a alma fáustica do homem moderno, do homem que almeja a plenitude. O final do livro é belíssimo: ao desenvolver o seu argumento de que a ascese protestante implica renúncia e dedicação a uma profissão (normalmente prescrita pela providência divina), estamos renunciando ao universalismo de Fausto. Ninguém questiona o fato de sermos especialistas nisto ou naquilo. Neste sentido, somos todos ascetas. Temos encapsulados em nós séculos de protestantismo ascético. E o mais trágico é que o próprio Weber se resignaria perante este destino.

Em tempo: esta edição, traduzida e comentada por Antônio Flávio Pierucci, especialista em Weber, é, a meu ver, a melhor disponível em português no Brasil. O bom trabalho torna a leitura agradável e envolvente, algo que, cá entre nós, não é lá muito a melhor característica de Weber.

PS: por que quatro estrelas, e não gloriosas cinco? Seria muito pouco weberiano de minha parte dar cinco estrelas (sinônimo de que a obra seria definitiva) para um livro de alguém que afirmou serem as obras científicas fadadas à obsolescência. Sorry, Weber.

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Oct 23, 2011 Alexander J. Hill added it · review of another edition

This was one of the most challenging texts I've ever grappled with. I'm pleased to say that I've seen it through to the end, though. I'd recommend this book to anyone entertaining the notion of a career in sociology or any of the social sciences.

I'd strongly suggest pairing this read with a secondary source. My understanding of this work -- and Weber's project as a whole -- was certainly informed by a class I took last semester. Do yourself a favour and read this book from cover to cover. I woul...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Hadrian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, politics-and-foreign-policy, society-and-culture, economics-finance-business, history

Even now, this is a profoundly interesting and detailed book, being the foundation of economic sociology, and is of considerable use today.

The main thesis is that several Christian denominations, mainly Calvinists, etc., believed that economic and social prosperity has a religious basis - that God has bestowed the gifts of success to these people, and therefore this should be imitated. Hence the Protestant Work Ethic - a religiously sanctioned form of capitalism.

As the prominence of religion wax...more

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About Max Weber

Maximilian Carl Emil Weber was a German lawyer, politician, historian, sociologist and political economist, who profoundly influenced social theory and the remit of sociology itself. His major works dealt with the rationalization, bureaucratization and 'disenchantment' associated with the rise of capitalism. Weber was, along with his associate Georg Simmel, a central figure in the establishment of...more

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Books by Max Weber

Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology

The Vocation Lectures: Science as a Vocation/Politics as a Vocation

The Theory of Social and Economic Organization

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“specialists without spirit, sensualists without heart; this nullity imagines that it has attained a level of civilization never before achieved.” — 10 people liked it

“It is true that the path of human destiny cannot but appal him who surveys a section of it. But he will do well to keep his small personal commentarie to himself, as one does at the sight of the sea or of majestic mountains, unless he knows himself to be called and gifted to give them expression in artistic or prophetic form. In most other cases, the voluminous talk about intuition does nothing but conceal a lack of perspective toward the object, which merits the same judgement as a similar lack of perspective toward men.” — 5 people liked it

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