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tylerrobinson1 's review for:
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
by Max Weber
"if we now combine the strictures against consumption with this unchaining of the striving for wealth, a certain external result now becomes visible, the formation of capital through asceticism's compulsive saving" (117)
A canonical work in Social Theory, which quotes Goethe and Benjamin Franklin as much as it does academic sources, Weber's dry analysis of culture aims to explain why Protestantism seems to be so popular amongst successful capitalists. For Weber the answer is that Protestantism engenders a certain spirit, a capitalist spirit which has an elective affinity with modern capitalism (capitalism based on the accumulation and constant expansion of capital). Whilst dull, repetitive and dated, this work is key for its influence on subsequent sociologists (Robert Michels, Georg Lukàcs, the Frankfurt School etc) as well as due to its place as a response to the Marxist theory of the role of culture in class society (although his name isn't mentioned).
Chapter 1 - Weber examines the occupational statistics noting how Catholics appear to be less successful capitalists than their Protestant compatriots. Weber blames this on the death of economic traditionalism and resistance to traditional religious authority (4).
Chapter 2 - Weber explains the 'Spirit of Capitalism', which is the simple notion that "people live for business rather than the reverse" (31). This for Weber is the rationalised, religious way of organising life, and key to the development of Capitalism.
Chapter 3 - Luther's concept of the 'Calling' is studied by Weber. Weber explains that the reformation birthed the Lutheran conception that one lives for a purpose, and must work studiously at this purpose, labouring for God ascetically, worshipping the 'this-worldy' aspect of their endeavours. Since Calvinists hold that a sign of their entry to heaven is rooted in their success on Earth, they plunge all of their energy into accumulating capital and expanding their own empires, whilst shunning ostentation and earthly pleasure that would usually distract the wealthy classes.
Chapter 4 - This chapter sees Weber explicating the "four major historical carriers of ascetic Protestantism", which are Western European Calvinists, Pietists, Methodists, and the sects birthed from Baptists (Mennonites, Quakers etc) (53).
Chapter 5 - The final and most important chapter, which I recommend you read if you're too impatient to sit through this dry text, simply concludes with Weber's final point summarising how "the formation of capital [arose] through asceticism's compulsive saving" (117).
A canonical work in Social Theory, which quotes Goethe and Benjamin Franklin as much as it does academic sources, Weber's dry analysis of culture aims to explain why Protestantism seems to be so popular amongst successful capitalists. For Weber the answer is that Protestantism engenders a certain spirit, a capitalist spirit which has an elective affinity with modern capitalism (capitalism based on the accumulation and constant expansion of capital). Whilst dull, repetitive and dated, this work is key for its influence on subsequent sociologists (Robert Michels, Georg Lukàcs, the Frankfurt School etc) as well as due to its place as a response to the Marxist theory of the role of culture in class society (although his name isn't mentioned).
Chapter 1 - Weber examines the occupational statistics noting how Catholics appear to be less successful capitalists than their Protestant compatriots. Weber blames this on the death of economic traditionalism and resistance to traditional religious authority (4).
Chapter 2 - Weber explains the 'Spirit of Capitalism', which is the simple notion that "people live for business rather than the reverse" (31). This for Weber is the rationalised, religious way of organising life, and key to the development of Capitalism.
Chapter 3 - Luther's concept of the 'Calling' is studied by Weber. Weber explains that the reformation birthed the Lutheran conception that one lives for a purpose, and must work studiously at this purpose, labouring for God ascetically, worshipping the 'this-worldy' aspect of their endeavours. Since Calvinists hold that a sign of their entry to heaven is rooted in their success on Earth, they plunge all of their energy into accumulating capital and expanding their own empires, whilst shunning ostentation and earthly pleasure that would usually distract the wealthy classes.
Chapter 4 - This chapter sees Weber explicating the "four major historical carriers of ascetic Protestantism", which are Western European Calvinists, Pietists, Methodists, and the sects birthed from Baptists (Mennonites, Quakers etc) (53).
Chapter 5 - The final and most important chapter, which I recommend you read if you're too impatient to sit through this dry text, simply concludes with Weber's final point summarising how "the formation of capital [arose] through asceticism's compulsive saving" (117).