The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Revised Edition

by Max Weber (Author), Stephen Kalberg (Translator)

128 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0199747252

ISBN-10: 0199747253

Why is ISBN important?

Sell yours for a Gift Card
We'll buy it for up to $4.06
Learn More
Trade in now

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Condition: Used - Good

In Stock. Sold by Shared Knowledge Literacy Foundation, Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

25 Used from $14.36

FREE Shipping

Deliver to France

Turn on 1-Click ordering

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

This item ships to France. Want it Monday, Dec. 10? Order within and choose AmazonGlobal Priority Shipping at checkout. Learn more

List Price: $19.95
Save: $2.00 (10%)

21 New from $17.95

Deliver to France

Turn on 1-Click ordering

More Buying Choices

21 New from $17.95 25 Used from $14.36

46 used & new from $14.36

See All Buying Options

Free Two-Day Shipping for College Students with Amazon Student

For more than 100 years, Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism has set the parameters for the debate over the origins of modern capitalism. Now more timely and thought provoking than ever, this esteemed classic of twentieth-century social science examines the deep cultural "frame of mind" that existed at the birth of modern capitalism and to this day influences attitudes toward work in northern America and Western Europe.

In this volume, Stephen Kalberg revises his internationally acclaimed translation--using shorter sentences and more lucid language--to make the work even more accessible to students and other readers. Capturing the essence of Weber's style as well as the subtlety of his descriptions and causal arguments, this is the only translation of the revised 1920 edition of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism published since 1930.

To draw readers into the material, this engaging volume includes extensive introductions by the editor, a chronology of Weber's life, a glossary, and numerous clarifying endnotes. Detailed commentaries discuss the controversies Weber addressed, explain his complex causal argument by reference to the general contours of his sociology, summarize the history of "the Protestant Ethic debate," and examine the significance of "the Protestant Sects" essays.

Ideal for courses in sociology, anthropology, political science, history, international relations, economics, and cultural studies, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand the origins and endurance of the modern West.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sociologists interested in Max Weber can count themselves fortunate these days with the recent appearance of the second revised edition of Stephen Kalberg's new translation of Weber's work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. . . . Those teaching upper division undergraduate and graduate courses in social theory or the sociology of religion will find this volume an ideal introduction to Weber's work and to the continuing controversies surrounding his famous thesis. At $14.95 in paper-bound edition, it is more than worth the price."-- Donald A. Nielsen, State University of New York Oneota

About the Author

Stephen Kalberg is Associate Professor of Sociology at Boston University and an affiliate of the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University.

Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; Revised edition (July 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0199747253
ISBN-13: 978-0199747252
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 1.1 x 5.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 128 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,399 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #104 in Books > Business & Money > Economics > Free Enterprise
- #140 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Sociology
- #228 in Books > Textbooks > Social Sciences > Sociology

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Be the first video

Your name here

128 customer reviews

Review this product

Write a customer review

Showing 1-8 of 128 reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Stanley

Referenced by Many but Often in Error

December 23, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is the 129th review of this edition. Several other reviewers have noted missing endnotes, misspellings, missing words and so on. My copy had a 136 pages of end notes while the text ran only 124 pages. I saw no editorial misques. Now, I read the book out of curiosity. Many authors make references to it, usually negative, and I wanted to see what Weber really wrote. Here's the bad part. Weber is a difficult reading for anyone (like me) without a fair knowledge of the early Protestant sects, and be prepared for a lot of Latin and German terms. Here's the good part. Weber starts out by quantifying economic differences between Protestants and Catholics, especially in Germany. He also notes that in general Protestants attended schools teaching more secular material. He wondered why? His conclusion was that Catholics believed that life on earth was to be endured and that a better existence waited for them in Heaven. Just tough it out. Protestants evolved to the belief that good works were a part of a good Christian life. This meant providing goods or services that benefitted others. Here's the kicker. Weber bluntly states Protestant beliefs were not solely or even mainly responsible for the rise of capitalism. Protestants helped capitalism evolve but that's it. In this regard many of those referencing Weber in a negative way are in error.

While parts of Weber are tough sledding, he does provide several little anecdotes and factoids. Here are a few. According to Weber, if a European girl was pretty she was generally thought to be "an English girl." A Polish girl would most likely be slovenly but if she moved west her work habits would improve even if her wage remained the same. While Protestants in Germany were on average about twice as wealthy as Catholics, Jews had about four times the personal wealth of Protestants. Anglo-Saxon music suffered a precipitous decline under Protestant churches and produced "only a noise intolerable to German ears." According to Weber, Anglo-Saxon music was so bad Boston's Trinity Church had to spend $8,000 in 1904 just for a professional choir.

Finally here is a criticism. Weber gives short shrift to Frederick the Great and Lutheran Pietism. Frederick wanted and forced on the Prussians an ethic that welfare did not mean giving to the poor but contributing goods and services useful to others. To Frederick, people made their own destinies. There was nothing wrong with improving God's world. Why Weber didn't go into detail here seems strange. This would be one of the best case studies proving the thesis.

Average to good quality paper with readable print.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Leon Lam

Good version

January 14, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Max Weber's groundbreaking study of Protestantism needs not further introduction. Kalberg, as the translator of such a masterpiece, produce an English version that is easy to follow. His succinct introduction to Weber's thesis and other possible factors leading to the birth of capitalism is sound and clear. A good book for beginners of sociology.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Ashley

Scholars beware

April 15, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I ordered a paperback copy of this book for my graduate class on Early Modern Europe. The book contains no translator information and no footnotes/endnotes. This is a major problem since most of Weber's argument is in his footnotes. I'm unsure why a publisher would choose not to include all of the text but this is unacceptable.

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Now I know why this is a classic - very well written, excellen points to consider

April 29, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

In Weber's classic work, he connects the Protestant Reformation with the rise in modern-day capitalism - the two, according to Weber, are essentially linked together. The Reformation introduced core elements upon which capitalism is built. For example the idea that the individual has rights associated with responsibility is a fundamental element of the Reformation - no longer is the Catholic Church solely responsible for the spiritual development of an individual, he must be responsible himself...every member a minister concept. Well, that's essential for the promulgation of capitalism as well - it's not the responsibility of the state, it's the reasonability of the individual to make a profit or lose capital in the process. The individual was kept stable and protected under the thumb of the Catholic Church, according to Weber, and the Reformation has freed the individual to take risks and stake their claim in life. Weber also notes that the Catholic Church promoted religious piety, a quiet and subdued worship within the walls of the sanctuary while the Reformation released people to worship with zeal and passion in the fields and through his labors.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Kerrin Packard

DO NOT BUY

October 4, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This "edition" has so many typos that it is almost unreadable. There is NO information about the publisher, therefore there is NO point in buying this is you are a STUDENT, because it is useless and you will need to find a different copy to cite it.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Will Jerom

Great theory, but not always an easy read

July 30, 2007

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Max Weber's thesis that the Protestant work-ethic helped give rise to the spirit of modern capitalism is well known, but how true is it? Weber goes into an impressive review of historical details on how Luther's concept of the calling became the Calvinist concept of labor to glorify God, and finally the Puritan concept that is applied to business as well as anything else. In short, the Protestant hard-work ethic, intended to be a sign of election and to glorify god, inadvertently (at least in part) gave birth to the spirit of capitalism, of sustained, planned, methodical profit-making. Though capitalism is no longer dependent upon religion for maintaining its ethos (we are all caught in the rat race), it is fascinating how Weber makes a compelling case that a once anti-materialist Protestant Christianity came to affirm the capitalist spirit by way of a hard-working ethic. Many of Weber's themes are persuasive, if also controversial. Weber has by no means isolated the final or full cause of the take-off of capitalism in modern times, but he has made a good case for one contributing factor. Would that his style of writing had been a bit more direct - Weber's insights are at least worth careful reading.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Edsudo108

Got copyeditor? Obviously NOT!

June 12, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Some pages are so riddled with typographical errors that they are basically illegible. I'm asking for my money back on this one!

Helpful

Comment

ANONYMOUS

Five Stars

August 16, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Good product and delivered on time.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway

This item: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Set up a giveaway

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Revised Edition

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Related Video Shorts (0)

Be the first video

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

128 customer reviews

Review this product

Customer images

Read reviews that mention

Showing 1-8 of 128 reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Revised Edition

Sorry, there was a problem.

Sorry, there was a problem.

Buy used On clicking this link, a new layer will be open $14.36 On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Buy new On clicking this link, a new layer will be open $17.95 On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Related Video Shorts (0)

Be the first video

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

128 customer reviews

Review this product

Customer images

Read reviews that mention

Showing 1-8 of 128 reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Buy used On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

$14.36 On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

Buy new On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

$17.95 On clicking this link, a new layer will be open