Recently I have read the following book. A book summary is as follows:
Max
Weber. The Protestant ethic and the
spirit of capitalism; translated by Talcott Parsons; introduction by
Anthony Giddens.
New York: Charles Scribbner's Sons, 1976.
Book
summary:
Ch.1: a glance
at the occupational statistics provoked a discussion over the fact that
business leaders and owners of capital were overwhelmingly Protestants (35).
Several observations suggested that the supposed conflict between
other-worldliness, asceticism on the one side, and participation in
capitalistic acquisition on the other, might actually turn out to have an
intimate relationship (42).
Ch.2: it tries to find out the conceptual formulation
of the spirit of capitalism (47). It was free from all relationship to
religion, it advocated ‘time is money’, ‘credit is money’, and ‘money can beget
money’ (48-49). It was Benjamin Ranklin who preached the ethos which had the
spirit of capitalism (50-1). It would suffice to note that without doubt, in
the country of Benjamin Frankin’s birth (Massachusetts), the spirit of
capitalism was present before the capitalistic order (55). The spirit of
capitalism had to fight its way to supremacy against hostile forces. In the
ancient times and in the Middle Ages, it was the lowest sort of avarice,
lacking in self-respect (56). The traditional thinking was that the opportunity
of earning more was less attractive than that of working less (60). We used the
expression spirit of (modern) capitalism to describe the attitude which sought
profit rationally and systematically, as illustrated by Benjamin Franklin.
Rationalism meant to rationalize life from fundamentally different basic points
of view and in very different directions. Rationalism was a historical concept
(78).
Ch. 3: Calling, a religious conception, could be seen
as a task set by God (79). The moral justification of worldly activity was one
of the most important results of the Reformation, especially of Luther’s part
in it (the fulfillment of worldly duties is the only way to live acceptably to
God (81). Yet Reformation was by no means friendly to capitalism (82). For
Luther the concept of calling remained traditionalistic. His calling was
something which man had to accept as divine ordinance, to which he should adapt
himself. The work in the calling was the task set by God (85). The study in
this book contributes to the understanding of the manner in which an idea
became an effective force in history (90). The book wants to ascertain whether
and to what extent religious forces had taken part in the expansion of the spirit
over the world (91).
Ch.4: In history there were four principle forms of
ascetic Protestantism: Calvinism, Pietism, Methodism, and sects came from the
Baptist movement (95). Calvinism in
16th and 17th century had the doctrine of predestination
which was considered as its most characteristic dogma. It was viewed by the
authority as politically dangerous and was thus attacked (99). This chapter,
after examining the emphasis found in the ascetic movements of these four religions,
found a common point: the conception of the state of religious grace, as a
status which marked off its possessor from the degradation of the fresh in the
world. But the grace could not be guaranteed by any magical sacraments, or by
relief in the confession, or by individual good works. That was only possible
only by proof in a specific type of conduct: by penetrating one’s conduct with
asceticism. This ascetic conduct meant a ration planning of the whole of one’s
life in accordance with God’s will. It was required of everyone who would be
certain of salvation (153). The life of saints no longer lived outside the
world in monastic communities, but within the world and its institutions. This
rationalization of conduct within this world was the consequence of the concept
of calling in ascetic Protestantism (154). Christian asceticism now strode into
the market-place of life (154).
Ch. 5: for the purpose of this chapter, since
Puritanism gave the most consistent religious basis for the idea of calling, it
was at the center of discussion and was picked as the representative. Richard
Baxter was a Presbyterian. He worked for the Parliamentary Government. He stood
out among writers on Puritan ethics and his works were focused for this
research. Baxter’s writing struck readers by its emphasis placed in the
discussion of wealth and it acquisition (156). He permitted the clergy to
employ their means profitably. The only real moral objection was to relaxation
in the security of possession, the enjoyment of wealth with the consequence of
idleness and the temptations of flesh, and above all the distraction of from
the pursuit of a righteous life. Not leisure and enjoyment, but only activities
served to increase the glory of God, according to the definite manifestations
of His will. A waste of time was thus the first and in principle the deadliest
of sins (157). A man without a calling thus lacked the systemic, methodical
character which was demanded by the worldly asceticism (161). What God demanded
was not labour itself, but rational labour in a calling (162). The usefulness
of a calling was measured primarily in moral terms, yet in practice the most
important criterion was found in private profitableness (162). Wealth was bad
ethically only in so far as it was a temptation to idleness and sinful enjoyment
of life, and its acquisition was bad only when it was with the purpose of later
living merrily and without care (163). This worldly asceticism broke the bond
of the impulse of acquisition in that it not only legalized it, but looked upon
it as directly willed by God. God was not against the rational acquisition of
wealth, but against the irrational use of it. (171). The accumulation of
capital through ascetic compulsion made possible the productive investment of
capital (172). One of the fundamental elements of the spirit of modern capitalism:
rational conduct on the basis of the idea of ‘calling’ was born from the spirit
of Christian asceticism. The spirit of
capitalism was the same as the Puritan worldly asceticism, only without the
religious basis (180).
Thesis of
the book:
One of the fundamental elements of the spirit of
modern capitalism: the rational conduct of a person regarding wealth was born
from the spirit of Christian asceticism on the basis of the idea of the ‘calling’. The spirit of capitalism now we know is the
same as the Puritan worldly asceticism, only without the religious basis (180).
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