'How did the Calvinists beliefs relating to worldly asceticism and predestination, encourage the development of Western capitalism, in Webers view.';
In this essay, I am first going to briefly look at Webers idea and how it differed form the view Marx put forward on the development of Western capitalism. I am then going to look at the way Weber saw 'occidental'; capitalism differing from 'other'; types of capitalism. After this I will touch upon what Weber described as the 'spirit of capitalism';. I will then proceed to explain what effect predestination and worldly- asceticism had an on a Protestant and his calling, and how this therefore encouraged the development of Western capitalism; in Webers view. After this I will look at the evidence Weber used to back up his idea, as well as the criticisms made against his work. I will also assess the methodological method used by Weber in his analysis; and finally, I will finish with a conclusion to sum up this essay.
Marx in his study of Western capitalism; saw it developing from a struggle between two forces, mainly feudalism and early capitalism(1). However, having studied Marx's ideas(2), Weber put forward a different analysis to describe the development of Western capitalism. Weber instead put forward an idea which did not seek to replace Marx's idea as a spiritual alternative(ibid), but was to give a different angle of how capitalism may have developed in the West. This idea was based on a coincidence which Weber believed exhisted between the owners of capital and Protestantism, as explained below;
'Business leaders and owners of capital, as well as the higher grades of skilled labour, and even more the higher technically and commercially trained personnel of modern enterprises, are overwhelmingly Protestant.';(ibid)
Therefore Weber set out an investigation to find why most business men were Protestant, and thus possessed a large amount of capital, which Weber describes as the 'elective affinity'; (3); as shown in his following statement;
'We are dealing with the connection of modern economic life(Occidental capitalism) with the rational ethics of ascetic Protestants.';(ibid)
It is when Weber did his research that he came to the following conclusion; that the way of life for Protestan...
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... ibid.-p21-22 ibid.-p48 ibid.-p98 ibid.-p100 ibid.p100 ibid.-p100 ibid.-p100 ibid.-p128 ibid.-p119 ibid.-p104-112-108 ibid.-p120-121-126 ibid.-p171 ibid.-p171 ibid.-p169 ibid.-p172 ibid.-p170-171-180 ibid.-p166 ibid.-p274 ibid.-p275 ibid.-p274 ibid.-p172-174 ibid.-p169 ibid.-p235 ibid.-p171-235 op-citp279 op-cit-pxxiii op-cit-pxxiv op-cit-pxxiv op-cit-p188-189 op-cit-p183.
(3) A. GIDDENS: CAPITALSIM AND MODERN SOCIAL THEORY: CAMBRIDGE PRESS:1996: P131
(4) HARALAMBOS AND OSBORNE: UNWIN HYMAN: 1990: P-662 ibid.-P663 ibid.-p663- ibid.-p663 op-cit-p754
(5) College notes: 1997:
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Ideologies unite groups of people and promote the collection of ideas necessary for operation of a properly varnished society. E.K. Hunt and Jared Diamond are two well known authors who discuss the scrupulous importance of ideologies within society. Their books, Property and Prophets and Guns, Germs, and Steel, discuss the success of certain ideologies throughout history, while also integrating the commendable relevance of economics. In determining the correlation of the two novels, one must assess the social, political, and economic factors associated with their viewpoints. Through interpretation of their understandings we can determine the rationale of medieval ideologies as well as, the breakdown of the Christian Paternalistic Ethic as
Capitalism, is among one of the most important concepts and mainframe of this application paper. According to the 2009 film “Capitalism a Love Story,” capitalism is considered as taking and giving, but mostly taking. Capitalism can also be defined as a mode of production that produces profit for the owners (Dillon, 72). It is based on, and ultimately measured by the inequality and competition between the capitalist owners and the wage workers. A major facet of capitalism is constantly making and designing new things then selling afterwards (Dillon, 34).Capitalism has emerged as far back as the middle ages but had fully flowered around the time o...
While growing up in Germany Max Weber witnessed the expansion of cities, the aristocracy being replaced by managerial elite, companies rapidly rising, and the industrial revolution. These changes in Germany, as well as the rest of the western world, pushed Weber to analyze the phenomenon, specifically to understand what makes capitalism in the west different and how capitalism was established. In The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism, Weber explains that capitalism is all about profit and what creates the variance between capitalism in the west and the rest of the world is rationalization, “the process in which social institutions and social interaction become increasingly governed by systematic, methodical procedures and rules”
people. Work was done not for one’s own personal gain, but for the sake of god. Weber found that in areas where Calvinism was the highest is where capitalism rose first, and no other religion resulted in the rise of capitalism.
Max Weber’s outlines his views on religion and capitalism in his book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Weber held the important theory that an individual’s views are significant in promoting social change, not material things as believed by former theorists. In his work, Weber compares two waves of “the calling” as preached by different Protestant leaders and describes the teaching and spread of ascetic beliefs among followers. This paper considers the context of the calling, explores the outward signs of grace which helped develop capitalism and, lastly, how capitalism, through rationalization, transformed Calvinist ideals for its advancement. According to Weber’s findings, individualistic views arose through Protestant beliefs.
Weber, Max, (trans. Talcott Parsons), The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, (2nd edn.), London, Allen & Unwin, 1976.
During a time of growing industry and a technological boom, Weber argued that Capitalist motivation stemmed from the Calvinist’s belief in the “calling”. The calling is defined as “an obligation which the individual is supposed to feel and does feel towards the content of his professional activity” (Weber 2003 54). Weber states that with the Protestant Reformation and the individualization of faith pushed forward the spirit of Capitalism. As the interpretation of the Bible became easier to access, it also became more open to interpretation for the individual reading. The calling interpretation of one’s own calling, thus becomes subjective and malleable for the individual to experience validation in their
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a play about segregation, triumph, and coping with personal tragedy. Set in Southside Chicago, A Raisin in the Sun focuses on the individual dreams of the Younger family and their personal achievement. The Younger's are an African American family besieged by poverty, personal desires, and the ultimate struggle against the hateful ugliness of racism. Lena Younger, Mama, is the protagonist of the story and the eldest Younger. She dreams of many freedoms, freedom to garden, freedom to raise a societal-viewed equal family, and freedom to live liberated of segregation. Next in succession is Beneatha Younger, Mama's daughter, assimilationist, and one who dreams of aiding people by breaking down barriers to become an African American female doctor. Lastly, is Walter Lee Younger, son of Mama and husband of Ruth. Walter dreams of economic prosperity and desires to become a flourishing businessman. Over the course of Walter's life many things contributed to his desire to become a businessman. First and foremost, Walter's father had a philosophy that no man should have to do labor for another man. Being that Walter Lee was a chauffeur, Big Walter?s philosophy is completely contradicted. Also, in Walter?s past, he had the opportunity to go into the Laundromat business which he chose against. In the long run, he saw this choice was fiscally irresponsible this choice was. In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee's dreams, which are his sole focus, lead to impaired judgement and a means to mend his shattered life.
...hown to be a fundamental socioeconomic transformation. My paper has shown many aspects of the market society, by using a number of theorists’ concepts. I focused on the characteristics of a market society, as well as why this transformation from traditional society was so significant. I also discussed the changes that have taken place in the workplace and the impact on the workers, which these material conditions became apparent throughout time. Lastly, I explained Weber’s idea of “economic rationality” and the worldview of people in a market society, to show how workers rationalized the work they put into the production and distribution of material goods. Generally, this paper’s purpose was to show how the market society has established itself over time, and how both material and ideological conditions interacted and changed the ways we view market society today.
Max Weber’s work The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is arguably one of the most important works in all of sociology and social theory, both classical and modern. In the decades since its inception, this work has gone on to influence generations of social scientists with its analysis of the effect of Protestantism on the development of modern industrial capitalism. This work, examining such broad topics as religion, economics, and history, is not only an interesting and insightful look into the history of the development of capitalism, but a major work in laying a foundation for future works of social theory. Max Weber’s main contention in this work is that what he calls the “Protestant Ethic” played a vital role in fostering the development of industrial capitalism in Europe and the United States. The Protestant Ethic was the idea found in some sects of Protestantism that one had a duty to God to succeed in their life’s work, but were bound to a lifestyle of asceticism that prevented them from spending the wealth they earned on themselves.
Lynn Harsh (Nov. 2002). ‘Capitalism – A Deal with the Devil?’. Retrieved on Mar. 23 from:
Max Weber introduced the sociological concept of the iron cage; this concept signifies the increased rationalization in the social life especially in Western capitalist societies. The ‘iron cage’ is this idea of an individual feeling trapped, controlled, and dehumanized by the systems that control us (Lecture Notes). The iron cage is the set of rules and laws that all were subjected and must adhere to. Bureaucracy puts us in an iron cage, which limits individual human freedom and potential, instead of setting us free. It is the way of the institution, where we do not have a choice anymore.
There were many theories that promotes and explains how the capitalist system works; however, Karl Marx’s Capital is the first one that can explain the imminent relationship between poverty and wealth, inequality and growth under capitalism. ...
The central assertion of Calvinism canons is that God is able to save from the tyranny of sin, from guilt and the fear of death, every one of those upon whom he is willing to have mercy. God is not frustrated by the unrighteousness or the inability of men because it is the unrighteous and the helpless that he intends to save. In Calvinism man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that, which is good and well pleasing to God; but yet mutably, so that he might fall from it. This concept of free choice makes Calvinism to stand supreme among all the religious systems of the world. The great men of our country often were members of Calvinist Church. We had the number of Presbyterian presidents, legislators, jurists, authors, editors, teachers and businessmen. The revolutionary principles of republican liberty and self-government, taught and embodied in ...