The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
by Max Weber · Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1904-1905, revised 1920
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- German
- Length
- Medium · 250 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism and Other Writings, translated by Peter Baehr and Gordon C. WellsPenguin Classics, 2002Translates the original 1905 version with Weber's replies to critics and related essays.
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Weber's essay asks why modern capitalism, with its disciplined pursuit of profit as a duty, arose in the Protestant regions of Europe. He argues that Luther's idea of the calling and above all Calvinist predestination, which left believers anxious for signs of election, produced an inner-worldly asceticism of hard work, thrift and reinvestment. Franklin's maxims illustrate the resulting spirit. Once established, the system no longer needs the faith that produced it, and the modern person is caught in what Weber calls a steel-hard casing, often translated as the iron cage.
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The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
