Modern sociologists, philosophers, and economics currently use the works by Max Weber and Karl Marx to strengthen their views of society and discuss the impact of different ideas in history. It is not enough to take Weber’s theory of stratification or social class and explain the roots of social conflict through class, status, and party relationships. It is not effective to merely compare Weber’s ideas with Marxism concepts and define the strengths and weaknesses of both statements. In his Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Weber underlines the power of religious and economic ideas to explain the possibility of capitalism in society during the 19th century. The Marxist point of view is that Weber focuses on Protestant ethics instead of searching for some material evidence for capitalism origins. Weber’s reply is based on the refutation of Marx’s historical materialism, the analysis of conceptual ambiguity, and the identification of religious influence. Despite the material spirit of capitalism enhanced by Marx, Weber’s argument proves the power of ideas in history by evaluating the economic system, religion, and ethics in understanding the connection between social wealth and equity.
Human behaviors undergo multiple changes and modifications through different centuries regarding the current expectations, norms, and regulations. Weber and Marx are the two genial European sociologists who combine economic, political, and religious ideas to demonstrate the development of society under different factors. In The Protestant Ethic, Weber investigates the spirit of capitalism through Protestantism and discusses spiritual and economic acquisition and satisfaction (17). His goal is to widen a primitive vision of capitalism offered by Marx, using similar approaches to class separation and power distribution. In Capital, Marx explains religion as “the reflex of the real world” that helps people produce commodities and values (51). The two works have enough arguments for the existence and acquiring many supporters and opponents to show how ideas are formed and promoted through different historical periods. Weber argues that religious and ethical ideas of individuals play an important role in the economic success and the establishment of capitalism. This idea of the Protestant ethic can be outlined as the combination of the economic system, religious values, and the spirit of capitalism, criticized by Marxist historical materialism, and justified with a variety of options.
Many factors shape people’s understanding of their past and the contributions that should be made to create a safe and successful future. In history, multiple ideas are offered to discuss and interpret events, explain human decisions and behaviors, and learn the lessons. Regardless of the centuries, Weber remains one of the most prominent thinkers globally. His philosophies and theories help build many modern societies and integrate achievements from many spheres. One of the basic ideas in Protestant Ethics is the idea of duty to increase wealth, define interests, and endorse a vocational calling (Weber 18). The author proves that a single idea could hardly exist in one specific political system only. Therefore, people like to use different ideas throughout their history to identify changes, explain choices, and motivate new behaviors. According to Weber, ideas are reflections of situations that require specific details and examples (19). Despite the content, ideas are necessary for people to see what they have already done in the past and what they can do in the nearest future. Thus, the idea of protestant ethics as a part of Weber’s theory contributes to the capitalist spirit.
In sociological theory, protestant ethic is a complex concept that is used to analyze the relationship between Protestantism and modern capitalism. Calvinism is one of the forms of reformed Protestantism discussed by Weber in his book with two major perspectives. On the one hand, the idea of God as an all-powerful and omniscient being allows motivating people and defining what is right and what is wrong. On the other hand, God does not guarantee that all people get the same opportunities for their growth and development. Thus, only some favored individuals may be predestined for salvation (Weber 74). Calvinism and Protestantism are developed to testify human beliefs and encourage people to develop their business ideas, increase profits, and stabilize wealth for a living. Weber’s philosophy teaches people to take steps and act as it is God’s intention to teach people to work hard and create great places. This argument facilitates the progress of capitalism because of the presence of spiritual satisfaction because people obtain the sense of calling and rational motivation.
Although Protestant ethic is mostly based on religious and spiritual aspects of human development, the economic system is also integral in forming the spirit of capitalism in Weber’s theory. In his writing, a new economic mentality world is based on the controversies between Protestants and Catholics and the changes in religious beliefs because of the impact of economic factors (Weber 3). Capitalism may emerge only in economically developed regions where people are well educated and trained to achieve their business goals with maximal profits, replying the old economic traditionalism with new stratification levels. The economic perspective is probably the only one that unites Weber and Marxists in their discussions of capitalism. Marx and Engels are fascinated with class struggles, dividing people into freemen and slaves, lords and servs, oppressors and oppressed (14). A Marxist critique lies in using the economic structure as the base of social development where unequal relationships between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie could not be avoided. Weber replies that society is never permanent, and there are always some ways to overcome inequality and use God’s grace as an excuse for various opportunities.
The next level of the debate between Weber’s and Marx’s arguments should touch upon the role of religion in society. Weber is very clear about his religious beliefs and the place of God in the real world. There are many metaphysical hopes, fears, and concerns in Protestant ethic. Weber always underlines that religion has penetrated “all private and public spheres in the most comprehensive sense imaginable” (4). His intention is to prove that religious denominations and properly identified moral values determine human behaviors and help maintain capitalism in all its forms. Marx’s opposition is viewed in one of his famous metaphors that religion is like the opinion of the people. In his opinion, religion makes people dependent on their own products of the brain, and churches affect how ideologies are spread and viewed in society (Marx 438). His historical materialism questions the quality of manipulation in its economic reason. Therefore, people have enough reasons to ignore religion but to focus on social and demographic differences. Weber wants to introduce clear boundaries in this world, and his counterargument to Marx is God’s calling, the task to be achieved for economic success.
The definition of capitalism through the prism of the Protestant ethic is one of the strongest points in Weber’s work to oppose Marxist ideas. Promoting the spirit of capitalism is not a simple process where one clear goal is identified. According to Weber, capitalism is a complex issue that requires understanding human virtues, economic rules, and God’s knowledge interpreted as the summum bonum (17). His main argument is that capitalism results from political, economic, and religious factors such as profits, free labor, and spirituality. It is wrong to believe that one or two events are enough to create a successful capitalist society. The spirit of capitalism lies in hard work, economic evaluations, and human attitudes toward religion and God’s impact. In the Marxist paradigm, capitalism is inevitable because it is a part of historical development. Marx and Engels use historical materialism as a cause of capitalism through exploitation, corruption, and oppression as the elements of modern society to encourage production and consumption (16). Weber does not agree with such a one-sided vision of the system and uses religion, economy, politics, and even spiritual growth to widen the spirit of capitalism.
In conclusion, Weber’s Protestant Ethic is not just another writing where some definitions are given and some arguments are identified. It is a significant historical project highlighting the role of political, religious, economic, and spiritual ideas in history. Weber’s argument is based on the connection between the Protestant ethic and the rise of capitalism in European societies. Compared to Marxists who integrate a definite economic perspective in human development, Weber wants to cover several factors that shape human behaviors and affect their decision. A new system consists of properly chosen and analyzed economic factors, strong and permanent religious beliefs underlying the power of God, and the causality that leads to the birth of capitalism.
Works Cited
Marx, Karl. Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Volume 1. Marxist Internet Archive, Web.
Marx, Karl, and Frederick Engels. Manifesto of the Communist Party. Marxist Internet Archive, Web.
Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Translated by Stephen Kalberg, 3rd ed., Routledge, 2012.