“The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” by Max Weber

Basic Knowledge

Max Weber, a German sociologist, gives his ethical views on the protestant religion and its contribution to capitalism. In his argument, he demonstrates various communication skills that advanced the theoretical knowledge of rhetoric and philosophy of communication. Firstly, Weber consistently gathers his facts before staging them in his arguments. Secondly, through observation he evaluates religion and its contribution to capitalism growth. Finally, to be sure of his beliefs, he turns to protestants and does his extensive fact-finding before using them to conclude that religion played role in the spread of capitalism. Arguably, these facts, which he collected through questioning and observation, help him stand in his arguments.

As a philosopher, Weber distinctively advocates for the reglion’s ethics and its role in capitalism. Irrespective of other people’s opinions, Weber points that Protestants, through their teachings, have helped the spread and growth of capitalism. He further defends his stands through references to the various protestant beliefs such as profit-making, which is the core characteristic of capitalism. However, he acknowledges that not all people value worldly pleasures. Lastly, as a good communication philosopher, Weber gives room for doubts and questioning. He regularly questions his facts and goes back to research them. He admits that he is not always correct, thus welcomes the criticism of his ideas.

Metaphor and Argument

According to Weber, modern capitalism values profits; thus, pursuing profits becomes the morally correct aspect. After pointing the stance, he made through observation, he questions his source of spirit, turning to protestant religious beliefs for a potential explanation. However, the protestants give rise to the worldly calling concept as a religious character which does not convince Weber’s pursuing profits. He further introduces the reader to Calvinism which beliefs in predestination where God has already determined what will be prevailed in the future. The Calvinists view their predestination through profits and success as God’s favor who has chosen them. Weber argues that this belief broke the traditional economic system, paving the way to a modern profit-oriented system: capitalism.

Despite Weber affirming his stand on the relationship between capitalism and protestants, he emphasizes that his perspective is incomplete. He insists that he does not claim that protests created capitalism, but their religious theories promoted its development at an early age. He further points out that capitalism contributed to the region. This is because Calvinism believed in God’s favor through profits and success. Profits remain the main objective of capitalism; through the profits gained, protestants could believe that it is God’s favor, thus continuing to worship Him. Throughout the book, Weber reminds readers that they should be wise enough to make their conclusion. He constantly reminds them of his limitation and tells them of his partial account regarding this topic. The book gives a complex account by first stating the problem in chapters one to three and the practical ethics of ascetic branches of protestants in chapters four and five.

Relevancy

Weber’s account and skills can be applied in our classrooms and marketplaces. Through Weber’s works, people realize that they regularly need to have a stand-in any perspective. However, the stand should be knowledge-based and accepting that you are not always correct. If presented by facts, one can be flexible to change their stand. It is important to accept one’s shortcomings and give the audience room to give their opinion despite presenting them with your facts.

Capitalism has been the drive to many economies, especially marketplaces. This idea has been embraced worldwide, with profits being the ultimate goal of businesses. However, not all are profit-driven, as some have disowned worldly pleasures and dedicated their strength to serving God. Nevertheless, the idea of profits and God’s favor has united capitalism and religion hence their coexistence in the markets.

Considering modern society, people share their ideas regarding earthly possession and expect no criticism. One of the religious ideas raised is that people should not go after riches as they are associated with evil. Instead, humans should help each other in making profits. The Protestants’ belief that God blessed them with gains made people work to make more money to show that they were blessed, which boosted capitalism.

Work Cited

Weber, M. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2021.

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StudyCorgi. (2023) '“The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” by Max Weber'. 26 July.

1. StudyCorgi. "“The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” by Max Weber." July 26, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/the-protestant-ethic-and-the-spirit-of-capitalism-by-max-weber/.


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StudyCorgi. "“The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” by Max Weber." July 26, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/the-protestant-ethic-and-the-spirit-of-capitalism-by-max-weber/.

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StudyCorgi. 2023. "“The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” by Max Weber." July 26, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/the-protestant-ethic-and-the-spirit-of-capitalism-by-max-weber/.

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