Weekly Reading- Week 1

The Protestant Ethic and the spirit of capitalism

By Max Weber

Chapter 5

In this chapter, Weber examined the ascetic Protestantism and other Christian religious belief and their impacts on economic behaviors and conducts.

From Richard Boxter’s “Christian Directory, who worked to promote practical ethic practice and moral life in Church, Weber presented the basic ideas of Protestant Ethic. Contrasted with many puritans writing, Boxter demonstrated open-minded and broad view towards wealth and acquisition.

1. Wealth is no longer viewed as all evil, rather, a stewardship with God.
2. Waster of time is the first in principle of deadliest sin. “Redeem the time” and “Time is money”.
3. Labour is viewed as religious duty for everyone. Wealth will not exempt one from working, “He who will not work shall not eat.” Labour is one of ways to prevent temptation and moral unworthiness.
4. Division of labour is seen as God’s divine calling. The perseverance of the individual in the place and within the limits which God had assigned to him was a religious duty, which gives the moral justification to division of labour.
5. The proof of one’s state of grace is shown through his conscious work in systemic and methodical manner. While Lutherans in general had uncertainty of their salvation, Protestants see the fruit of labour, increasing wealth, and systematically diligently working as the sign of God’s grace.
6. The profit-making endeavor is justified. The increasing wealth and success in business is favorable as in God’s favor and grace for God’s glory.

The Puritan idea of calling combines with ascetic conducts had directly influenced the development of a capitalistic way of life. “This worldly Protestant asceticism acted powerfully against the spontaneous enjoyment of possessions; it restricted consumption, especially of luxuries. On the other hand, it had the psychological effect of freeing the acquisition of goods from the inhibitions of traditionalistic ethics. It broke the bonds of the impulse of acquisition in that it not only legalized it, but looked upon it as directly willed by God. When the limitation of consumption is combined with this release of acquisitive activity, the inevitable practical result is obvious: accumulation of capital through ascetic compulsion to save”

Those religious movements had created a rational way of conducts which corresponded with a spirit of capitalism. In return, the believers had the assurance as elected into God’s kingdom. By which, the Christian belief, especially Protestant asceticism became a building block into the massive development of future economic social order. Though the first peak of religious enthusiasm faded away, the rational way of conducts and the characteristic of capitalism remain