Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a study
of the
relationship between the ethics of ascetic Protestantism and the emergence
of the
spirit of modern capitalism. Weber argues that the religious ideas of groups
such as the
Calvinists played a role in creating the capitalistic spirit. Weber first
observes a
correlation between being Protestant and being involved in business, and
declares his
intent to explore religion as a potential cause of the modern economic
conditions. He
argues that the modern spirit of capitalism sees profit as an end in itself, and
pursuing
profit as virtuous. Weber's goal is to understand the source of this spirit.
He turns to
Protestantism for a potential explanation. Protestantism offers a concept of
the worldly
"calling," and gives worldly activity a religious character. While important,
this alone
cannot explain the need to pursue profit. One branch of Protestantism,
Calvinism,
does provide this explanation. Calvinists believe in predestination--that God
has already
determined who is saved and damned. As Calvinism developed, a deep
psychological need for clues
about whether one was actually saved arose, and Calvinists looked to their
success in worldly
activity for those clues. Thus, they came to value profit and material success
as signs of
God's favor. Other religious groups, such as the Pietists, Methodists, and the
Baptist
sects had similar attitudes to a lesser degree. Weber argues that this new
attitude broke
down the traditional economic system, paving the way for modern capitalism.
However,
once capitalism emerged, the Protestant values were no longer necessary, and
their ethic
took on a life of its own. We are now locked into the spirit of capitalism
because it is so
useful for modern economic activity.
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
what Weber calls "The Problem." The first chapter addresses "Religious
Affiliation and
Social Stratification," the second "The Spirit of Capitalism," and the third
"Luther's
Conception of the Calling and the Task of the Investigation." The fourth and
fifth chapters make
up "The Practical Ethics of the Ascetic Branches of Protestantism." The fourth
chapter is
about "The Religious Foundations of Worldly Asceticism," and the fifth chapter
is about
"Asceticism and the Spirit of Capitalism."
