Protestant and Spirit of Capitalism

“The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism”

Max Weber

Asceticism Protestantism
Concept of wealth
Concept of labour

Division of labour leads to specialization is a calling requires systematic, methodical character; his calling is an exercise in ascetic virtue, a proof of his state of grace through conscientiousness.

Thus the ascetic importance of a calling provided an ethical justification of modern specialized division of labour.

Protestant asceticism:
o work systematic, methodical, diligently
o powerfully against the spontaneous enjoyment of possession, restricted consumption; broke bonds of impulse of acquisition, against temptation of flesh, but look forward the will of God.

[He defines "the spirit of capitalism" as the ideas and habits that favour the rational pursuit of economic gain. Weber points out that such a spirit is not limited to Western culture, when considered as the attitude of individuals, but that such individuals – heroic entrepreneurs, as he calls them – could not by themselves establish a new economic order (capitalism). Among the universal tendencies identified by Weber that those individuals had to fight were the desire to profit with minimum effort, the idea that work was a curse and a burden to be avoided, especially when it exceeded what was enough for modest life. "In order that a manner of life well adapted to the peculiarities of capitalism could come to dominate others," wrote Weber, "it had to originate somewhere, and not in isolated individuals alone, but as a way of life common to whole groups of man."

Weber showed that certain types of Protestantism – notably Calvinism – favoured rational pursuit of economic gain and worldly activities which had been given positive spiritual and moral meaning. It was not the goal of those religious ideas, but rather a byproduct – the inherent logic of those doctrines and the advice based upon them both directly and indirectly encouraged planning and self-denial in the pursuit of economic gain. A common illustration is in the cobbler, hunched over his work, who devotes his entire effort to the praise of God. In addition, the Reformation view "calling" dignified even the mundanest professions as being those that added to the common good and were blessed by God, as much as any "sacred" calling could. This Reformation view, that all the spheres of life were sacred when dedicated to God and His purposes of nurturing and furthering life, profoundly affected the view of work.]*

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Weber#Achievements

In summery, the ethical valuation of good works asceticism looked upon the pursuit of wealth, the attainment of it as a fruit of labour in a calling was a sign of God’s blessing. That results of capital accumulation.

However, the constant struggle with accumulated, increased wealth, with temptation of desire, pride leads the purity of religious virtue decay.

Religious roots ---economic virtue---utilitarian worldliness---in the end lost the its religious roots.