The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism [Paperback]

Max Weber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 2002

First published in 1905 The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is one of the most renowned and controversial works of modern social science. It is a brilliant book which studies the psychological conditions which made possible the development of capitalist civilization.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In a style at once elegant and rigorous, Stephen Kalberg presents us with a superb translation of Max Weber's classic study of religion and economics that to a large extent has defined the nature of the historical sociology of capitalism... [This] work of authoritative and authentic scholarship ... will establish the bench mark for Weber translations in the social sciences." Bryan S. Turner, University of Cambridge

"I am glad to see this immensely important work, first published a century ago, finally made available to the English reading public in an accessible version ... Kalberg succeeds in making the text a pleasure to read." Egon Bittner, Brandeis University

"Weber's classic text has now at last been given the treatment it deserves in English, with Stephen Kalberg's meticulous translation and superb editorial presentation." William Outhwaite, University of Sussex

"This new translation offers a readable, trenchant alternative to the ideologies of modernity and to the postmodernist philosophies central to much social theory, ethics and theology today. Those interested in the future will attend to this fresh recovery of the past." Max L. Stackhouse, Princeton Theological Seminary

"Stephen Kalberg has produced a book that teachers and students will find invaluable. What an excellent idea, to combine a new translation of Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism with other closely related writings of Weber's, including a detailed and accessible introduction and supporting background information on Weber the man, on the book, and on its place in contemporary social science. Kalberg's comprehensive introduction manages to be informative and scholarly while remaining a clear and intelligible guide to the book. The introduction offers an accurate and refined statement of Weber's important and influential (if often misunderstood) thesis, placing it in the context of its era and to Weber's general idea of sociology. This new version of The Protestant Ethic should greatly improve upon its predecessor and clear up misunderstandings of Weber's meaning which the earlier translation may have engendered." Wes Sharrock, University of Manchester

"This new translation of Weber's The Protestant Ethic, one of the most important social science works of the twentieth century, is a welcome and worthwhile enterprise. It carefully presents the numerous and important nuances of Weber's text, giving a clear idea of the place of this text in the intellectual framework of his time. Professor Kalberg's introduction provides a very interesting commentary on this text as well as the place of Weber's work in the history of sociology and its relevance to the central problems of contemporary sociology theory. [The book] is a distinct contribution - and a tool for students of sociological theory and its history." S.N. Eisenstadt, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

"A couple of years ago I had to re-read Plato's Republic. I was amazed by the striking resemblance between the social problems addressed by Plato and the problems of contemporary societies. I had similar experience after reading the new translation of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Stephen Kalberg, an internationally acclaimed Weberian scholar. Although capitalism and the discursive formation that has laid the foundation for its existence has changed very much, reading this classical work of Weber reminds one the nature and operations of capitalism that we take for granted...[Kalberg] has successfully overcome the daunting task of balancing between keeping Weber's message intact while at the same time providing a reader friendly translation." AlemSeghed Kebede, California State University, Bakersfield

"Essentially, Kalberg achieves his goal of providing an indispensable, up-to-date resource for the scholar, teacher, student while, at the same time presenting the general, albeit serious reader with an engaging version of this most outstanding of Weber's works. Auto/Biography Journal

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell (January 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631230815
• ISBN-13: 978-0631230816
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,590,730 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy the Dover edition of this book., October 26, 2006

By 

Amelia Ann Favere (Takoma Park, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (Economy Editions) (Paperback)

The Dover edition of the book has been bound so tightly that it's difficult to turn the pages--and to read the words, which are nearly swallowed up by the binding. It feels like if you force it at all, the whole binding will come unglued.

It may be cheap, but it *feels* so extremely cheap that it's just not worth the money saved. Buy yourself another edition--or for that matter, just get the text free online. Anything's better than trying to read this edition.

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Founding book of economic sociology, March 9, 2003

By 

Denis Benchimol Minev "Amazonia" (Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (Routledge Classics) (Paperback)

This book is the founder of the prolific field of eocnomic sociology. It introduces the concept that culture (in the form of the protestant ethic) is better adapted to fit capitalism. Therefore, capitalist growth was found more frequently in protestant societies than in others.

Since Webber, there has been much study of this topic, with some of the main names being Lawrence Harrison (focusing on the culture of underdevelopment) and Francis Fukuyama (focusing on how trusting societies benefit economically). Both and others push the frontiers initially established by Webber.

Though controversial especially today in the period of political correctness, Webber presents a strong mainly anecdotal case (given the absense of many statistical tools at the time) of why protestant societies succeed in capitalism; his main argument (though there are many other important ones) is that it is socially acceptable in protestant societies to make a profit, whereas it may be considered immoral in other societies, such as catholic ones.

This is a good theoretical book with a few good anecdotes. It is for someone interested in the history of sociology, especially as it pertains to economics. If you are just looking for a link between culture or religion and economics, look at Larry Harrison.

74 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A must-read work, but it has its problems..., October 31, 2001

By 

Christopher W. Chase "Christopher W. Chase" (East Lansing, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (Routledge Classics) (Paperback)

Rather than a general theory or explanation of either economics or religion, Weber attempts to draw a specific link between what he sees as the conjunction of the work ethic of Protestant (mainly Calvinist) spiritual teachings, and the success of Western European Capitalism.

Weber is an astute analyst, in many ways. He rightly notes that often the 'sine qua non' of Capitalism is thought of as "greed". Arguing against this notion, Weber points out that all societies have had greedy people within their particular economic system-greed is thus a factor irrespective of economic systems. Replacing this, Weber proposes that the "spirit" of Capitalism be thought of as a particular moral attitude towards work and idleness-an attitude that holds that constant and diligent work for its own sake is a moral imperative. In the face of what Weber calls "the radical elimination of magic from the world" this work ethic was the existential option left for people in terms of atonement and personal compensation for inadequacies. I believe that these two insights are right on target.

If there is a weakness involved in his characterization of this Protestant "Ethic," it lies in the fact that Weber attempts to draw a strict dichotomy in the origins of this ethic. He states forcefully that this ethic does not come out of any Enlightenment thought. The problem with trying to separate this ethic from the Enlightenment, is that this ethic which posits diligent work for its own sake is clearly found in the ethics of Immanuel Kant, who classified this kind of work and labor as a "duty" (ethical rule) that the self has to itself. In other words, how much of this is the legacy of the Reformation and how much of this is the legacy of the Enlightenment?

The necessity for this kind of work also appears in the ethics of Hegelian philosophy. Hegel characterizes work as a means of the realization of Spirit within the human self, since the performance of duties which one would not normally choose to do can be thought of as a deliberate placing of oneself in the context of alienation. The individual then, through diligent "work," attempts to convert that which is foreign (antithetical) to the self into that which is of the self. Work is thus a means of overcoming a system of deliberate self-alienation, and is vitally necessary. Kant and Hegel, clearly two giants of Enlightenment thought, both maintain that the essence of diligent work is to become, not acquire-acquisition is a by-product and consequence of work. This is very similar to Weber's characterization of this ethos.

Another problem arises when we attempt to draw a strict separation between the worldly attitudes of Catholic monasticism and this "Protestant Ethic." While it is certainly true that Catholic monasticism placed a high degree of value on contemplatio, Catholic dogma, from Augustine through Gregory the Great and onwards, held explicitly that one must always return to work in the world-contemplatio was always insufficient in itself as a mode of being. Biblically, this was often seen in light of the Hebrew story of Rachel and Leah, as well as the Greek story of Mary and Martha. The contemplative life is certainly of "higher" value in Catholic thought, yet it must be seen as returning the soul to the life of activity, lest the soul run the risk of the heresy of "Quietism." Some forms of Catholic mysticism ran into heretical issues precisely because they held that the life of activity should be abandoned. So, while there may be a difference in degree, we should be careful not to draw a stronger split than is there. Weber writes as if only Luther or Calvin has the concept of a life's "calling," when this was always already part of Catholicism too.

This entire issue actually has its roots in Greek political philosophy, where we see a clear tension between the "practical life", and the "contemplative life." The issue persists into Roman life. We can even see some evidence of this type of Protestant ethos in Stoicism, which held that the active pursuit of virtue and public activity was the highest good. Contrast to Epicureanism, which held that the private, quiet study of philosophy and other pleasures, away from worldly life, was the highest good. The issue, of course, reemerges in Christian thought. But for all of its force in Protestantism, we must not take a myopic view that this was somehow unique to Protestantism in Western intellectual thought. Other factors than religion must have also played a role in the development of capitalism.

The role of Judiasm is Weber's biggest problem. According to his own endnotes, Jews enjoy more economic success and motivation---so why would Protestantism give birth to Capitalism?

We should nonetheless congratulate Weber for attempting to take a close look at the interactions between religious and economic thought. Like Marx, his work serves a good framework to examine the way religious thought influences and inteacts with factors like world economics.