The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus

"The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" is one of Max Weber's representative works.
Why did capitalism, which has dominated the world since modern times, emerge solely from Western civilization? Weber, citing the constraints of culture and religion on socioeconomic development, argued that modern capitalism is characterized by its rationalized, sustained management and organized labor. The core elements of the capitalist spirit—the idea of ​​"vocation" and the work ethic of dedication to professional labor—share a natural affinity with the ascetic character of Protestantism. Protestantism, particularly Calvinism, which views work as a calling and a life philosophy based on the systematic and rational pursuit of legitimate gain, is the ideal spiritual driving force for the development of capitalism. This Protestant outlook fostered a rationalized lifestyle based on the concept of professionalism, a lifestyle now common among modern citizens. While asceticism fostered the emergence of the modern economic order, once capitalism established its overarching order, it established its foundations on mechanical civilization, and the worldly asceticism of Protestantism disintegrated into pure utilitarianism. Capitalism, stripped of its religious and ethical connotations, ultimately leads to "soulless experts and mindless hedonists, these empty beings who actually believe they have reached a realm never before achieved by mankind."

2019-04-01

上海三联书店

409

9787542664631