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The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
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Index of Terms
Economic Traditionalism
Economic traditionalism refers to the attitudes toward money and work that were predominant in society before capitalism. Such attitudes were characterized by a desire to earn only as much money as was necessary for sustaining one’s lifestyle. Weber argues that economic traditionalism served as a hindrance to the development of capitalism, which requires workers to increase their productivity so as to produce as much money as possible in the course of their working day. For industrial capitalism to fully develop, Weber argues that first the old ways of economic traditionalism had to be replaced by the new spirit of capitalism, through a “long and continuous process of education and socialization” (24). Throughout his book, Weber argues that the Protestant Reformation was one of the chief means through which this process was achieved, socializing individuals to see the earning of money as an ethical good.
Predestination
Predestination is a religious doctrine common to various denominations of Protestantism and is especially associated with Calvinism. According to this doctrine, God has chosen who is destined for heaven and hell before anyone has been born. As a result, individuals have no ability to alter their fate, regardless of what good deeds they may commit during their life. Weber argues that predestination isolates individuals from God, making them mere tools that “exist to serve the Will of God” (58), whose motivations remain fundamentally beyond human comprehension. Another effect of predestination is to create a sense of anxiety in Calvinist believers, who are unsure about whether they are destined for the afterlife and have no way of gaining certainty. As a result, Calvinists and other Protestants devoted themselves to their work, seeing methodical and dutiful labor as a testament of their faithfulness and goodness.
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a religious movement that sought to break away from the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. It is commonly seen as having begun in 1517, when theologian Martin Luther nailed a list of 95 religious theses to the door of a church. These theses criticized the Catholic Church, particularly its practice of indulgences, which allowed followers to “purchase” forgiveness for their sins. As a result, a number of Christians left the Catholic Church and formed their own Christian sects, such as Lutheranism and Calvinism. Though there were many differences in dogma between these sects, they were broadly concerned with a view of religion that focuses on one’s individual relationship with God, rather than a relationship mediated by a priest or other figures of Catholic authority. Weber argues that Protestantism represented a broad shift in views on morality, which could now be found in everyday life and a focus on “this-worldly work” rather than the ascetic and isolated lifestyle of Catholic monks (40).
Spirit of Capitalism
The spirit of capitalism is a term that Weber uses widely throughout his book and refers to a set of practices and beliefs that he sees as being characteristic of attitudes toward money in a capitalist society. At the core of the spirit of capitalism is the desire to gain ever-increasing sums of money. However, Weber sees this desire as differing from the sorts of greed that may have been found in pre-capitalist societies. While such earlier forms of greed may have been devoted to earning a great sum of money quickly, such as in the case of early speculators whom Weber deems “adventure capitalists,” the spirit of capitalism is oriented around a methodical organization of one’s daily life with the focus of devoting oneself to one’s work and earning more money. In addition to this emphasis on rational organization, the spirit of capitalism is characterized by its transformation of earning money into a moral good. Weber sees the statements of Benjamin Franklin as epitomizing this new ethical view of wealth. Franklin presents the earning of money as an ethical duty that one must devote oneself fully to. Further, Franklin admonishes individuals who would seek to spend their earned wealth on idle pleasures, instead directing them to invest it and make as much money as they are able to.
Vocational Calling
Weber’s analysis of the Protestant work ethic hinges on the notion of having a “vocational calling.” While the idea of the career or calling as a job one is uniquely suited to perform is common in modern-day capitalist societies, Weber argues that it is a relatively recent idea, stemming from the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. According to Weber, apart from a few isolated instances, theologian Martin Luther was the first to use the word “calling” to refer to one’s work. Luther saw work in one’s vocational calling as the height of one’s moral and ethical duties, and he attached a sense of religiosity to the notion of work, suggesting that God had called upon each individual to do their task. The vocational calling only became more important in later Protestant sects, such as Calvinism and Puritanism, which saw work within one’s calling as the chief means of achieving faith that one was destined for salvation.
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