Credited as founders of modern sociology, Karl Marx and Max Weber share similar views on the manner in which bureaucratic systems achieve their own goals despite the detrimental consequences on individual agency. However, Weber views culture as human motivation and conflict as both perpetual and inescapable, whereas Marx views culture as a means of domination, arguing inequality, or class conflict, ends with Communism. Weber analyzes the effect of religious ideology on capitalist pursuits and the resulting economy, while Marx frames capitalism as a historical inevitability in which technology and trade make necessary. Thus, the two theorists assign vastly different roles to material and cultural factors that account for the emergence of modern western capitalism.
In his famous essay, “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,” Weber demonstrates how the Calvinist work ethic led to the development of capitalism. His study of the Reformation reveals how Europe’s economic centers shifted away from Catholic countries France, Spain and Italy, and into Protestant countries Germany, England, Scotland and the Netherlands. Weber notes that nations with developed capitalist economies had more citizens who identified as Protestant. In nations with citizens identifying with a wide variety of religions, business leaders most often identified as Protestant. As a result, Weber credits Roman Catholicism, Buddhism and Confucianism as detrimental to the development of a capitalist economy.
Declaring Protestantism the reason capitalism emerged in the Occident and not in China, Weber goes on to detail Calvinist theology’s emphasis on work and “the development of the concept of the calling” (Weber 505) that encourages followers to choose...
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...advocacy networks, eliminates the threat of force by empowering nations, both rich and poor, via civic power.
Wapner calls for an expansion of empowering civic power, as modeled by transnational environment activist organizations that work through social, economic, and cultural networks to create policy change and efficiently educate large amounts of people. Politicizing global civil society, these networks practice world civic politics and work outside interstate politics to promote widespread change. He calls on globalization to popularize the practice of world civic politics and for nongovernmental organizations to expand their significance in global relations. Giddens however promotes the shifting away from large corporations and advocates for the relocation of their power into new institutions that can properly address concerns that arise from globalization.
Based on this segment from Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, it appears that the primary focus of the work was to refute the proposal of “”superstructure” theorists” (Weber in Calhoun 2012: 299), by providing examples to indicate that a capitalist economy is an unnatural social system, and does not unfold as these theorists claim. Weber focuses primarily on Benjamin Franklin as a proponent of Capitalism, (seemingly)
...lth and being successful. They devoted their lives to being wealthy and being stingy. This was considered “good works”, but they also believed in hard work and earning their wealth fairly. Weber called this life style the Protestant ethic. These ideas later blossomed into capitalism because Calvinists strived to be rich and did what they had to do to become that way and keep it. Later down the road, capitalism pulled away from its roots where working hard and being honest was a must. Today, it’s just a big strive for money and power.
In the closing of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Max Weber writes, “it is, of course, not my aim to substitute for a one-sided materialistic an equally one-sided spiritualistic causal interpretation of culture and history. Each is equally possible, but if it does not serve as the preparation, but as the conclusion of an investigation, accomplishes equally litte in the interest of historical truth” (125). This closing statement presents Weber's main argument in The Protestant Ethic in a slightly different view than what many scholars think . Does Weber's essay merely criticize the theories of Karl Marx? Or is Weber simply trying to deepen the understanding of the cultural origins of capitalism, which includes Marx's materialist conception of history? In this paper, I will explore the ways in which Karl Marx and Max Weber might actually be compatible. By examining the two theorists' analyses in The Protestant Ethic and Marx's writings, including Capital and various essays, this paper will show how the difference between the two is not a matter of historical versus contemporary or historical materialism versus idealism. Rather, the two are compatible in their attempt to comprehend the connection between modern capitalism and history, their mutual understanding of religion as a practicality, and their pursuit of a diachronic analysis.
1). Weber and Marx views differ when it comes to their interpretations about the origins and dynamics of capitalism, Weber’s view focuses on the Protestant reformation and the spirit of capitalism in the west and how “the widespread influence of Protestantism after the reformation helped explain why full blown rational capitalism developed where and when it did” (Mcintosh pg. 115). Although he doesn’t believe that Protestantism caused for the creation of capitalism he does believe that Calvinism a branch of Protestantism plays a roll due to the effects it shaped upon these people and their protestant ethics. Mcintosh helps to explain that “in such a time the religious forces which express themselves through such channels are the decisive influences in the formation of national character” (Mcintosh pg. 122). In other words due to the asceticism and the spirit of capitalism amongst these religious followers they abstained from various worldly pleasures to obtain their spiritual “calling”. In decreasing pleasures and increasing work, production and profits, they were hopeful that they were increasing their chances of going to heaven due to their belief about predestination which states “in theology, the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. John Calvin interpreted biblical predestination to mean that God willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others” (www.wikipedia.com). Thus they followed the doctrine precisely, which they believed could possibly decrease their chances of being the individuals who were damned to hell. Although Wesley argued “I fear that wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion. So although the form of religion remains, the spirit i...
Unlike Marx who didn’t believe that culture influenced capitalism, Weber focused primarily on that and ideas. Weber says that traditional capitalism was when the elite kept their traditional values and status in the society, they didn’t have to take any actions to keep living as they normally had. Where as in rational capitalism, the spirit of capitalism shows that the culture has duties they need to keep up with instead of just keeping the norms that have already been in place. They have to work for what they get. Through rational capitalism, according to Weber, Life is to be lived with a specific goal in mind, which is making money. As humans, if we are organized, honest and overall good we believe that making more, and more money will come to us.
Ribuffo, L. (1981). Jesus christ as business statesman: bruce barton and the selling of corporate capitalism. American Quarterly, 33(2), 206-231.
Many people today have become obsessed with success in the here and now. They are too focused on their own personal gains which takes away their want to help others. To these people work does not have a transcendent purpose as a means of serving and loving God. This can be redeemed by showing people that intertwining the sacred and secular parts of work can have substantial impacts. Capitalism provides the best opportunity for economic growth and human freedom only if it is tempered by compassion and regard for social justice. Work is a gift of God that imparts a sense of personal fulfillment and useful service. The secular worldview has many negative viewpoints on work, but it is only the Christian worldview that provides a high view of work that gives meaning and dignity to human labor. Along with that, only the Christian worldview provides the moral foundation essential to preserving free economic systems. We must bring back the idea that work is so much more than a means of supporting oneself. The Christian worldview assists in this by providing a higher meaning to human labor than the secular worldview does (Colson, Chuck and Pearcy).
Williams, O. F. Catholic Social Teaching: A Communitarian Democratic Capitalism for the New World Order. Journal of Business Ethics, 1993.Vol.12, no.12 p. 919-923.
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 in 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.
Dutch Calvinism too learned the value of religious tolerance. Its austere doctrines sat uneasily beside the lavish lifestyle of the Amsterdam merchants, but between the two, the spirit of capitalism was born.
My paper talks about the riveting account of human nature and modern society that Karl Marx gives us, in comparison Max Weber and Emile Durkheim. Meanwhile, Durkheim believes that organic solidarity and division of labour are modernity’s main features. Weber looks at rationalization and disenchantment, and Marx offers an account aimed centered on class struggle and social instability.
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. The wealth that was accumulated through this lifestyle was reinvested into the work process in order to create more wealth. This continual reinvestment of wealth provided the necessary capital and conditions that allowed for the development of modern capitalism.
During the nineteenth century, Karl Marx and Max Weber were two of the most influential sociologists. Both of them tried to explain social change taking place in a society at that time. On the one hand, their views are very different, but on the other hand, they had many similarities.
Karl Marx and Max Weber both expressed an interest in the social class. Social class as defined in the class is an individual’s relation to the organization of production. (Nakhaie 2015) Weber discusses class in the context of social stratification, which can be defined by many resources as “a society’s categorization of people into socioeconomic strata.” This social stratum is based on a person occupation, income, wealth and social status. Webers treatment of class and status indicates the manner in which the material basis of society is related to. It can be said that Weber identifies a variety of social classes; with the analysis of his classes overlapping his theory that rationalization comes to dominate modern societies and class systems. “Weber and Marx both regard society as characterized by conflicts over resources and power.” (Bratton and Denham 2014:255) Marx, on the other hand, had many views on social classes and class systems, however, his view of the capitalist stage of production consists of two classes that are seen as his most influential. The first of the two classes is the bourgeoisie or the “means of production”; this is the middle-class citizens who are seen as having materialistic values. The second is known as the proletariats, or the “working class”; they are seen as having collective values. As mentioned above, Weber agreed with Marx’ views on classes, however, our
Michael Novak once said, "Capitalism must be infused by that humble gift of love called caritas". Historically, capitalism has been criticized a lot. Some criticize capitalism for religious reasons; others criticize it for its lack of justice. Money is a dominant factor in most people's lives in this day and age, no matter where they come from. Should money and materialistic amenities really hold such a big place in our hearts and lives? This is what Hanif Kureishi portrays in his short story “The Decline of the West”, which deals with the ethic aspects of capitalism.