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Global Journal of HUMAN-SOCIAL SCIENCE: C
Sociology & Culture
Volume 16 Issue 6 Version 1.0 Year 2016
Type: Double Blind Peer Reviewed International Research Journal
Publisher: Global Journals Inc. (USA)
Online ISSN: 2249-460x & Print ISSN: 0975-587X
A Review of Max Weber’s Thesis on the Protestant Ethic and
the Spirit of Capitalism
By Nahom Eyasu
Mekelle University
Introduction- This paper describes about the review of The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism,
which was written by Max Weber, translated by Talcott Parsons, and introduced by Anthony Giddens in
2005 in the publishing link of Routledge: London and New work. Weber produced most of his major works
in the late 1800s and early 1900s (Glatzer, 1998).
Weber was identified more as a historian who was concerned with sociological issues, but in the
early 1900s his focus grew more and more sociological (Glatzer, 1998).
More specifically, Weber devoted much of his attention to ideas and their effect on the economy
(Allen, 2004). Rather than seeing ideas as simple reflections of economic factors, Weber saw them as
fairly autonomous forces capable of profoundly affecting the economic world (Allen, 2004). He certainly
devoted a lot of attention to ideas, particularly systems of religious ideas, and he was especially
concerned with the impact of religious ideas on the economy (Ritzer, 2011). In The Protestant Ethic and
the Spirit of Capitalism (Weber, 1904–1905/1958), he was concerned with Protestan-tism, mainly as a
system of ideas, and its impacts on the rise of another system of ideas, the “spirit of capitalism,” and
ultimately on a capitalist economic system (Allen, 2004).
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AReviewofMax WebersThesisontheProtestantEthicandtheSpiritofCapitalism
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A Review of Max Weber’s Thesis on the
Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
Author: Department of Sociology, College of Social Sciences and
Languages, Mekelle University. e-mail: [email protected]
II.
Max Weber’s Short Biographic
Sketch (1864-1920)
Weber was born in Erfurt, in .1864, in to a
prominent family of in industrialists and civil servants.
His mother was a pious protestant woman. His father
was a lawyer, a member of the German parliament
(Hadden, 1997: 123)
On the way Weber was living in their family, his
father and mother made a conflict on the issue of
Weber. Young Max throwing his father out of the house,
and after which the latter his father was died of a stroke.
These events were to have prolonged effects on
Weber’s own m mental and physical health. In 1892, he
married Mariame Schnitger (Hadden et al 1997: 124).
Weber was trained in law and received his PhD
in that discipline in 1889 for a dissertation of medieval
business organization (Salomon, 1935).
Max Weber was a German polymath who
excelled in many different fields including sociology,
economy, history, law, jurisprudence and linguistics. He
was written more than32 published sociology books
(Burger, 1976).
III.
The Main Concerning Area of the
Thesis
The main concerning area of Weber’s study was
to describe how the west developed a distinctively
rational religious system (Protestant) that played a key
role in the rise of rational economic system (capitalism)
IV.
Purpose Statement
Each and every micro and macro sociologists
have their own intentions to discuss about how social
phenomena, social issues, in general social
environments have been occurred for the benefits of
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Year
49
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his paper describes about the review of The
Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism, which
was written by Max Weber, translated by Talcott
Parsons, and introduced by Anthony Giddens in 2005 in
the publishing link of Routledge: London and New work.
Weber produced most of his major works in the
late 1800s and early 1900s (Glatzer, 1998). Weber was
identified more as a historian who was concerned with
sociological issues, but in the early 1900s his focus
grew more and more sociological (Glatzer, 1998).
More specifically, Weber devoted much of his
attention to ideas and their effect on the economy (Allen,
2004). Rather than seeing ideas as simple reflections of
economic factors, Weber saw them as fairly
autonomous forces capable of profoundly affecting the
economic world (Allen, 2004). He certainly devoted a lot
of attention to ideas, particularly systems of religious
ideas, and he was especially concerned with the impact
of religious ideas on the economy (Ritzer, 2011). In The
Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (Weber,
1904–1905/1958), he was concerned with Protestantism, mainly as a system of ideas, and its impacts on the
rise of another system of ideas, the “spirit of capitalism,”
and ultimately on a capitalist economic system (Allen,
2004). Weber had a similar interest in other world
religions, looking at how their nature might have
obstructed the development of capitalism in their
respective societies (Allen, 2004).
In a wide-ranging historical study, Weber sought
to understand why a rational economic system
(capitalism) had developed in the West and why it had
failed to develop in the rest of the world (Ritzer, 2011).
Weber accorded a central role to religion in this process.
At one level, he was engaged in a dialogue with the
Marxists in an effort to show that, contrary to what many
Marxists of the day believed, religion was not merely an
epiphenomenon. Instead, it had played a key role in the
rise of capitalism in the West and in its failure to develop
elsewhere in the world (Ritzer, 2011).
In general, the bench mark ideas of Max Weber
on The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism
were become from chapter one and two (Religious
Affiliation and Social Stratification, and The Spirit of
Capitalism), three (Luther’s Conceptions of Calling), four
(The Religious Foundations of Worldly Asceticism), and
five (Asceticism and The Spirit of Capitalism) were from
the works of Benjamin Franklin, Martin Luther, John
Calvin, and Richard Baxter respectively.
So, this paper comprises the introduction part
(the main focusing area of the book), the main body part
(the main idea of the thesis), and the last one is
conclusion (re-state the basic issues), and references
have been involved.
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I. Introduction
2016
Nahom Eyasu
Year
2016
A Review of Max Weber’s thesis on the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
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Global Journal of Human Social Science (C ) Volume XVI Issue VI Version I
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individuals as well as society, organizations, institutions,
and structures ( Turner, 1999).
So, Max Weber’s intention for studying The
Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism was that
Weber wanted to illustrate how the origin of a peculiar
spirit that eventually made modern rational capitalism in
the Western Europe (Ritzer, 2011), to describe how the
Protestant Ethic to societal domain and social carrier
and their relationships to one another leads to a concern
with social change (Kalbers, 1996), to explain the
general issues of why Protestant institutions in the
western world had grown progressively more rational
while powerful barriers seemed to prevent a similar
development in the rest of the world (Brubaker, 1984),
and to identify relationship among a variety of the
world’s religions and the development only in the West
of capitalist economy system (Schulctor, 1996).
V.
The Rationales of the Author
Max Weber was one of the classical
sociologists, who studied about The Protestant Ethic
and the Sprit of Capitalism, Economy and Society, The
Methodology of Social Sciences and on and on. So, the
question is why Weber studied about sociology as a
discipline? It has so many factors that Max Weber
Studied about sociology as a discipline, but the main
reasons for being studied sociology by Weber were:
1) The German of Weber’s youth had rapidly
industrialized, and this had left the country in a
chaotic state with several constituencies vying for
prominence in the setting of national and political
agendas: Prussian Junkers (militaristic land owners)
from land owners, new industrialists, and their
recently proletalianized workers all represented
faces contending for influence in shaping modern
German. So, Weber wanted to keep German’s
national unity and cohesion, this is one of the
causes that Weber wanted to study sociology
(Hadden, 1997: 123-124).
2) Max Weber was strongly influenced by his pious
protestant mother and his well industrialist father to
study about The Protestant Ethic and the Sprits of
Capitalism. He belied that The Protestant Ethic, the
work of habits; the feelings of industriousness
should be traced back through childhood
socialization. So, Weber was under influence of his
mother and father to study about sociology
(Hadden, 1997: 123; Giddens 2005).
3) Weber was so much influenced by the ideas of Karl
Marx in all about capitalism, religious, social
stratifications: class, party, and about the means of
production and consumption. So, Weber wanted to
rejoin responding in such Marx’s issues on his
studies, which means he began to study about
sociology in responding to the Karl Marx’s ideology
(Ritzer, 2011).
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VI.
The Main Ideas of Weber on the
Protestant Ethic and the Sprit of
Capitalism
Max Weber, the most significant sociologist,
was dictating about religion, capitalism and social
stratification during his popular period, 1903-1917 (
Giddens, 2005; Ritzer, 2011). The main works of Weber
were so many, but the reviewer has focused on the main
works of max Weber on his thesis:
a)
b)
c)
d)
a)
Religious affiliation
Luther’s conception of calling
Ascentism and the spirits of capitalism, and
Calvinism
Religious Affiliation
A glance at the occupations statistics of any
country of mixed religions composition brings to light
with remarkable frequency a situation which has several
times provoked discussion in the catholic press and
catholic congress in Germany, namely, the fact that
business leaders and owners of capitals, as well as the
highest grades of skilled labour, and even more the
higher technology and commercially trained personnel
of modern enterprises are protestants.
More specifically, the greater participation of
protestant in the position of ownership and management
in modern economic life may to- day be understood, in
part at least, simply as a result of the greater material
wealth they have inherited. But, the smaller proportion of
catholic among the skilled labourer of modern industry.
The Catholics show a stronger propensity to remain in
their crafts and gymnasium, where as the Protestants
are attracted to a larger extent in to the factories in order
to fill the upper ranks of skilled labour and administrative
positions. So, religious affiliation is not a cause of the
economic conditions, but to a certain extent appears to
be a result of them.
In conclusion, the explanation of these cases,
according to Weber, is undoubtedly that the mental and
spiritual peculiarities acquired from the environment,
here the type of education favoured by the religious
atmosphere of the home community and the parental
home, have determined the choices of occupation, and
through it the profession career.
b) Luther’s Conception of Calling
According to Luther, the conception of calling
mean the fulfillment of the obligations imposed up on
the individual by this position in the world does not
mean the way of living acceptably to God was not to
surpass worldly morality in monastic ascentism. The
monastic life is not only quite devoid of value as a
means of justification before God, but he also looks up
on its renunciation of the duties of this world as the
product of selfishness, withdrawing from temporal
c) Ascentism and the Spirit of Capitalism
In analyzing the relationship between the
world’s religions and the economy especially for the rise
Worldly Protestant Ascentism
Acted powerfully against the spontaneous enjoyment of
possessions
It restricted consumptions, especially of luxurious
Freeing the acquisition of goods from the inhibitions of
traditionalistic ethics
The acquisition of good should be directed by the
willing of God and law
Approved the rational and utilitarian uses of wealth for
the needs of individual and community
Possession and temptations are evil
Worldly Puritan Ascentism
Acted powerfully for the spontaneous enjoyment of possessions
We are being called to work for the purposes of consumptions;
developed to a rational bourgeois economic life.
Freeing the acquisition of goods from the inhibitions of
traditionalistic ethics
The acquisition of good should be directed by the willing of God
Approved the area of the modern economic men
The bourgeois economic life was come from the pressure of the
temptation of wealth
Source: The Reviewer of this thesis, 2016
According to Weber, a different ethical religious
orientation was necessary to provide the devotion of
daily work which the modern capitalist economic order
was just beginning to require in part of Europe in
overcoming the inner resistance to capitalist work
habits. The prominent charismatic figures involved in
this transition were Martin Luther and John Calvin.
Calvinism was the version of Protestantism that
interested Weber most. One feature of Calvinism was
the idea that only a small number of people are chosen
for salvation. In addition, Calvinism entailed the idea of
predestination; people were predestined to be either
among the saved or among the damned. There was
nothing that the individual or the religion as a whole
could do to affect that fate. Yet the idea of
predestination left people uncertain about whether they
were among the saved. To reduce this uncertainty, the
Calvinists developed that idea that signs could be used
as indicators of whether a person was saved. People
were urged to work hard, because if they were diligent,
they would uncover the signs of salvation, which were to
be found in economic success. In sum, the Calvinist
was urged to engage in intense, worldly activity and to
become a “man of vocation.”
Calvinism, as an ethic, required self-control and
a systematized style of life that involved an integrated
round of activities, particularly business activities. So,
the study of Calvinism has strongly linked to the rise of
capitalism; it has three reasons why Calvinism has a
good links with the rise of capitalism: First, capitalists
could restlessly pursue their economic interests and feel
that such pursuit was not merely self-interest but was, in
fact, their ethical duty. Second, Calvinism provided the
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d) Calvinism
Year
of capitalism, Weber developed a typology of the paths
of salvation. Asceticism is the first broad type of
religiosity, and it combines an orientation toward action
with the commitment of believers to denying themselves
the pleasures of the world. Ascetic religions are divided
into two subtypes. Otherworldly asceticism involves a
set of norms and values that command the followers not
to work within the secular world and to fight against its
temptations. Of greater interest to Weber, because it
encompasses Calvinism, was inner worldly asceticism.
Such a religion does not reject the world; instead, it
actively urges its members to work within the world so
that they can find salvation, or at least signs of it. The
distinctive goal here is the strict, methodological control
of the members’ patterns of life, thought, and action.
Members are urged to reject everything unethical,
esthetic, or dependent on their emotional reactions to
the secular world. Inner worldly ascetics are motivated
to systematize their own conduct.
Such inner worldly and other worldly ascentism
has also two categories: the worldly protestant
ascentism, and the worldly puritan ascentism. So, the
differences between the two worldly ascentisms are
trying to put below as soon as possible.
Global Journal of Human Social Science ( C ) Volume XVI Issue VI Version I
obligations. In contrast, labour in a calling appears to
him as the out world expression of brotherly love. He
approves the observation that the division of labour
forces every individual to work for others.
He strongly emphasized that the statement that
the fulfillment of worldly duties are under all
circumstances the only way to live acceptably to God. It
and it alone is the will of God, and hence, every
legitimate calling has exactly the same worth in the sight
of God. This moral justification of world actively was one
of the most important results of the reformation.
Luther also believed that the puritan wanted to
work in a calling; we are forced to do so. For when
ascentism was carried out of the monastic cells in to
everyday life and began to dominant worldly morality, it
did its part in building the tremendous cosmos of the
modern economic order, they are the means of
overcoming the inner resistance to capitalist work
habits, although they were ont established with this
purpose or function in mind.
2016
A Review of Max Weber’s thesis on the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
A Review of Max Weber’s thesis on the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
rising capitalist with sober, conscientious and unusually
industrious workmen who clung to their work as to a life
purpose willed by God. Third, Calvinism legitimized an
unequal stratification system by giving the capitalist the
comforting assurances that the unequal distribution of
the goods of this world was a special dispensation of
Divine Providence.
Year
2016
Martin Luther
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It is necessary for the removal of special status for religious
vocations
He had removed the negative connotations connected with
everyday work
Creating the every habits required by modern capitalism
So, there are the significant differences between
Martin Luther and John Calvin on their religious and the
rise of capitalism studies, their differences is attempting
to put below here;
John Calvin
Worldly activities are the man of vocations
He stipulating that it is absolutely necessary to devote one’s
life to duty in one’s earthly calling, duty to God
Predestination indirectly required to modern capitalism
Source: The Reviewer of the book, 2016
VII.
Methodology
Despite the fact that Max Weber could not use
research procedures and techniques properly (Ritzer,
2011), the focusing area of his methodology was holistic
units and their separate parts as components fully
integrated into a larger system of objective structures.
So, the reviewer has illustrated his methodology as
much as possible below:
a) Approximately Longitudinal Study Design
Weber has used both cross sectional and
longitudinal study design at the same time during his
study. In longitudinal study, he studied the way that
exploring Protestant doctrine was by prolong
observation in various ways in which Protestants
seemed attracted to business-oriented occupations and
organized their daily lives in an especially rigorous
fashion ( Giddens, 2005).
In cross sectional study, he studied the reasons
why some Asian countries like China and India couldn’t
see the rise of capitalism were: the absence of
guarantee law and a rational administration and judiciary
for china, and recruitment of labor, credit by the caste
system for India one point in a time (Giddens, 2005;
Ritzer, 2000:169)
b) Research Method
Weber has used both quantitative and
qualitative research methods (mixed research method)
In quantitative research method, Weber’s work on
religion and capitalism involved in enormous body of
cross cultural historical research method; here, as
elsewhere, he did comparative-historical sociology
(Giddens, 2005; Kalkerg, 1997). Weber was attempting
to understand how western European institutions and
courses of actions rose based on historical comparison
methods. He used economic and religious motivations
for actions in a particular case that simply help him to
apply and/or compare precise concepts to particular
historical cases and to investigate the real sources
people’s action (Richard, 1997: 136).
Weber employed and/or used historical
instances to focus on the unintended consequences of
© 2016 Global Journalss Inc. (US)
action as helped to produce change. He used the
puritan intention to serve God was enacted in such a
way that it had the unintended consequences of
providing the disciplined habits necessary for the
industrial capitalism. By comparing the grounds and
consequences of actions in different historical contexts,
Weber was able to give approximate meaningful
definitions and analysis in what they are occurred
(Antonio, 1985).
Another aspect of Weber’s methodology was
his commitment to his study of causality. He was
inclined to see the study of the causes of social
phenomena. He operates with a multi-causal approach
in which hosts of interactive influences are very often
effective causes.
Weber was quite clear on the issue multiple
causalities in his study of the relationships between
Protestantism and the spirits of capitalism. Although he
is sometimes interpreted ethic was one of the causal
factors in the rise of modern sprit capitalism; Protestant
Ethic was the independent variable of the spirits of
capitalism.
According to Weber, the causal (cause-effect
relationships) knowledge on social sciences is
meaningfully human conduct (action) is identified by
reference to valuation and meanings in more probable.
For this reason our criteria for causal explanation have a
unique kind of satisfaction in the historical explanation of
such as ‘entity’.
Weber had used nomothetic (deductive) and
ideographic (inductive) cases in explaining about the
causality. (Salomon, 1935).
In qualitative research method, Weber has
applied Ideal type method to describe how economy
and religious was being traced back to modern western
societies ideally. So, economy and religion by
themselves are not ideal type, but rather ethics,
discipline, wealth, capital, and modern market place and
on are the ideal types because they are conceptual
tools for religion and economy (Giddenes, 2005). And,
Weber illustrated that the Puritan identifies the regular
action of these believers orientation toward methodical
work (Giddens, 2005). And, he widely discussed on
A Review of Max Weber’s thesis on the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
Max Weber has covered China, India, Japan,
and Western Europe societies in investigating why the
rise of true capitalism has been occurred in western
countries, and why not occurred in China and India
(Giddens, 2005)
d) Target Population
The target population of Weber’s Study was the
society who were following in one religious, especially
for the follower of Catholic Church, Confucianism,
Hinduism, Judaism, Calvinism, Pietism, Methodism,
Baptist Sects, Lutheran, Puritan Sects, and
governments, judiciary bodies, capitalists, workers
(Giddens , 2005).
e) Sampling Techniques
Weber has mostly used non probable random sampling
techniques during his study. The writer of the book has
applied purposive or judgmental non random sampling
The author of the book has used both primary
and secondary data that helping to collect and gather
appropriate data for his study
i. Primary data
In primary data, the researcher has collected
qualitative data from the selected continental countries.
Observation: This data collection instrument was the
author’s qualitative data collection instrument in
studying about how the structural barriers like few
formals laws, the absence of central court and the
irrational type of administrative structure were the
causes that hindering the rise of capitalism in China and
India (Giddens, 2005), he observed how the protestants
are affluent, chose more technical fields of study, and
how the Catholics are passing their times on learning of
languages, philosophy and history (Giddens, 2005),
ii. Secondary data
In this data collecting and gathering system, the
author of this book has used catholic press and
literature, bible, declarations, Benjamin Franklin’s piece
on Money, Credit and Man, John Calvin on the idea of
Calvinism, Martin Luther and Richard Baxter’s pieces
and books.
g) Data analysis
i. Descriptive analysis
Max Weber’s study on The Protestant Ethic and
The Spirit of Capitalism was employed different
statistical methods, like frequency, average, and mean
in order to show if the labor has used their time properly,
they will incredibly rise up their wages, and the rise of
capitalism at the same time.
ii. Comparison analysis
The author of this book also used comparative
analysis so as to compare the historical comparisons of
the rationalization of economic institutions: the
relationships between religious and economy on the
rooted ideas of the German Historical School and the
Marxist School of Economics
iii. Narrative analysis
The author of this book was also narrating the
life of capitalists in Germany in order to distinguish
which works were accomplished by the Protestants and
Catholics.
VIII.
Max Weber and Karl Marx
Dialogue
The relationship between Marx and Weber has
been the topic of considerable debate and research
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Data Collection Instruments
Year
f)
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c) Study Area
from the selection of some selective countries from
Asian countries to the observations of their religious
because Weber need to informant so as to ensure his
investigation in the selection of a few cases with some
peoples for intensive study (Giddens, 2005).
Global Journal of Human Social Science ( C ) Volume XVI Issue VI Version I
ideal type was that Ideal type is a conceptual tool which
brings together certain relationships and events of
historical life in to a complex which is conceived of as
internally consistent system to be applied for
investigating theoretical investigations.
The most important thing about ideal type is
that they are heuristic devices; they are on the useful
and helpful in doing empirical research and in
understanding specific aspects of the social world.
In Weber’s view, the ideal type was to be
derived inductively from the real world of social history.
Weber rejects the idea of theoretical laws; he does use
ideal type in various ways to create theoretical models.
Thus, ideal type constitutes the theoretical
building blocks for the construction of a variety of
theoretical model
Another method of his study was Verstehen.
The German word for understanding is Verstehen. The
term Verstehen was derived from a field known as
hermeneutics. Hermeneutics was a special approach to
the understanding interpretations of published writings.
Its goal was to understand the thinking of the author as
well as the basic structure of the text. Weber sought to
extend this idea from the understanding of text to the
understanding of social life (Ritzer, 2011).
Weber believed that Verstehen is a systematic
and rigorous research and a rational procedure of
studying that understanding the subjective meanings of
the individuals in human actions and inactions (Ritzer,
2011).
Max Weber has also executed Documentary
research method that the systematic use of printed or
written materials for investigation - is often regarded as
an also-ran. He used the German’s declaration, August
9, 1771 for the purpose of investigate” a man who has
no good work was not a true believer” (Giddens, 2005:
90).
A Review of Max Weber’s thesis on the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
Year
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(Antonio and Glassmars, 1965). There is no simple way
in which Weber was involved in a debate with the ghost
of Marx (Salomon, 1935). There is high debating
between Marx on Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
Capitalism and Weber on the analysis of industrial
capitalism, and Weber’s Economy and Society and
Marx’s Capital (Turner, 1993: 3), Marx’s concepts of
alienations and Weber’s concepts of rationalization
(Lowith, 1993).
Karl Marx’s ideas on the points of the above
issues, especially capitalism and religion were debated
to the ideas of Max Weber. Let’s see one by one
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a) Marx and Weber Dialogue on Capitalism
Marx believed that the secret of capitalism is
that political powers have been transformed into
economic relations in the purpose of exploiting the
workers. Marx developed an important insight on the
capitalist economic system is the primary cause of
alienation. And, Marx understood capitalism in terms of
its underlying production forces that shape the systems
of social relationships. So, Marx intends to reveal the
internal contradictions that he hopes will inevitable
transform capitalism (Antonio, 1985; Antonio and
Glassmars, 1965; Allen, 2004).
But, Max Weber believed on capitalism is that
the system of capitalism was occurred when the
individuals did their systematic work in a worldly calling,
not for the purpose of political power and the
exploitation of workers, the location of power in society
is not exclusively related to ownership of means of
production, but it is related to status and party
affiliations (Weber, 1904 cited in Ritzer, 2011). He also
stated that modern capitalism has begun to work of
increasing the productivity of human labor by increasing
its intensity, and none of the major spheres of society
(political, legal, economic, and religious are equally
dominant in society (Giddens, 2005:24; Allen, 2004;
Antonio and Glassmars, 1965; Salomon, 1935).
b) Marx and Weber Dialogue on Religion
Marx clearly says that he is not against religion
per se, but against a system that requires the illusions of
religion because capitalism is an independent variable
of religion And, he famously refers to religion as the
opiate of the people for sustaining the systems of
capitalism because religion is the heart of a heartless
world, just as it is the spirit of spiritless conditions. It is
also the opium of the people. (Marx, 1843 quoted in
Ritzer, 2011; Antonio and Glassmars, 1965).
But for Marx Weber, in analyzing the relationship
between the world’s religions and the economy
especially for the rise of capitalism, Inner worldly
asceticism played its role on the rise of capitalism
because capitalism is the dependent variable of religion,
and Weber also believed that military and religious,
political and juridical institutional systems are
functionally related to the economic order in a variety of
ways ( Gerth and Mills, 1958: 49; Allen, 2004).
Generally, the dialogues between Max Weber
and Karl Marx on the above issues are listed below
Karl Marx
Max Weber
His study of capitalism was restricted by Western
societies (primarily England)
Weber includes Eastern societies, and drew on the
comparative study of the economic conditions of various
countries
He understood capitalism in terms of its underlying
productive forces that shape the systems of social
relations
He understood capitalism as a system of social actions
under lied by interconnection among its various spheres,
where none is dominant
Theoretical work could only be verified by its ability to
promote change and eliminate inequality
The role of social theory is to search for valid historical
patterns and relationships, rather than to change them
He emphasized on social and cultural in history in order
to explain economic sphere , it is the political power that
dominate the economic plan
He emphasized the major sphere of society (political,
economy, religious) are equally dominant in society, it is
the status and party affiliations
He believed that the origin of the rise of capitalism in
western world was economic factor
He defined social class in terms of common relationship
between a group of individuals and means of production
It is non economic factors
Class is a group of people who shared situations is a
possible based on market situations and means of
consumption
Individuals are the carriers of class interest
The actions of individuals are likely to vary according to
their occupations and the size of the group affected by
the class situations
Class struggle is necessary for the avoidances of the
Class struggle will be occurred when the separation of
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The key function of political power is creating the way of
accumulating capital for the purpose of labour
exploitation
The key function of modern political power is the
mitigation of the problems of class structure
Bureaucracy is the systems to expand the capitals’ profit
and deteriorate the capacity of the workers in the forms of
division of labour, drafting laws, creating positions ,
hierarchical systems, impersonal rules, a clear cut
separation of public and private
Bureaucracy enables an organization to discharge
official business precisely with as much speed as
humanly possible
Religious is an independent variable for the rise of
capitalism
Capitalism is an independent variable for religious
Source: The reviewer of this thesis, 2016
IX.
The Argument of Max Weber



X. the main contribution of max weber
Different
classical
and
contemporary
sociologists have contributed to the development of
sociology; Weber was one of the classic sociologists
that gave his attention on the development of sociology
(Turner, 1999; Ritzer, 2011).
The main contributions of Weber for the current
sociology as well as society are:

Vertehen in his historical research is one of his best
known contributions to the methodology of
contemporary sociology; the task of sociological
analysis involved “The interpretation of actions in
terms of its subjective meaning.” This methodology



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55
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It may have variety arguments which have been
contributed by Max Weber, but the most dominant
arguments of Max Weber were:
 Economic order, to be the central, but rational
bureaucracy, rather than class struggle
was of
paramount importance in determining the precise
position of different communities (Ritzer, 2011).
 To understand any social states of affairs or societal
conditions are to understand the actions of
individual members there in (Brubaker, 1984)
 Weber argued that the conditions of the
appropriation of material means of production,
market freedom, rational technology, calculate law,
administration, formally free labor person who
voluntary sell their labor power, and the
commercialization of economic life are the
necessary ingredients in the rise of capitalism
(Ritzer, 2011).
 Religious life is an independent variable for the rise
of capitalism (Giddens, 1970).
 Weber represents a remarkable fusion of historical
research and sociological theorizing (Hadden,
1997)
has been applied by the recent sociologists (Ritzer,
2011). Sociologists try to apply Weber’s method to
their own research or, even more, when they
attempt to teach verstehen to others. Clearly, the
method involves systematic and rigorous research.
This has had some to relegate Vertehen to a holistic
operation of discovering the real scientific work of
sociology (Shields, 1996).
Ideal type, as Weber believed, supports to
sociology to develop conceptual tools, it is more
functional for developing theory; Ideal type
constitutes the theoretical building blocks for the
construction of a variety of theoretical model as
today sociologists have applied for the construction
of theory from Concepts→Statement→Format
(Meta theoretical schemes, analytical schemes,
propositional schemes, and modeling schemes).
These are the elements of theory in sociology
(Kalberg, 1985).
He popularly contributed to the development of
medical sociology in studying about the analysis of
mental processes and the resulting meaningful
actions (Sociologyguide.com)
He was making the distinction methodology
between methods of science and philosophy of
science. He said methods of science are the steps,
procedures used by the scientists to conduct
research: the methodology of research. Philosophy
of science is concerned about the sprits and the
ethos of science (Weber, 1958a)
Weber is the first scholar and sociologist to
conceptualize that sociology is not prescriptive
discipline, rather it is a descriptive and interpretative
discipline (Sociologyguide.com)
He detailed and sophisticated analysis of the
rationalization of phenomena as sociology of music
(Sociologyguide.com)
The ideas of bureaucracy and its stages and
character, and the occupational structure widely
explored by Max Weber (Ritzer, 2011).
Year
management from the ownership of capital undermined
the structural conditions
Global Journal of Human Social Science ( C ) Volume XVI Issue VI Version I
system between the proletariat and the capitalists
2016
A Review of Max Weber’s thesis on the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
A Review of Max Weber’s thesis on the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
The driving forces for the rise of capitalism was
ascetic, but not rationality (Salomon, 1935).
 The creation of a new mentality in the economy
system can’t be considered as the results of
Protestantism ( Lowith, 1993).
Please note that if Max Weber wasn’t explore
the above ideas as well as contributions, the recent
society’s problems couldn’t be solved via descriptive
research method and the like, and the discipline of
sociology
would
be
under
endangered
(sociologyguide.com).
Year
2016

-
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56
XI.
The Setbacks of Weber During his
Studying Sociology
They may have different hindrances was being
occurred when Weber studied sociology during his
golden time, but some of the setbacks where were
emerged during his studying period were:
1. Weber was not intimately familiar with Marx’s work
(much was not published until after death). It made
hindrances for Weber to rejoin the basic
assumptions of Karl Marx (Antonio, 1985: 20).
2. They had not get precise empirical data from the
previous historical instances to study about his duly
societies (Sayer, 1991).
3. He was mostly influenced by the Karl Marx’s
ideology followers and social democratic movement
when he wrote and disseminated his ideas for the
societies (Herva, 1988).
XII.
Critical Discussion
The reviewer has looked Weber’s work in
strengthen and weakness parts. So, what the reviewer of
this book wants to put the strengthen part on the work of
Weber in here that:
 The author used different methods as multi- angular
lenses in studying about it in different social life in
history, which means Weber appeared to offer a
much more round approach to the social world
during his studies on Protestant Ethic and The Spirit
of Capitalism.
 Weber intended to study his work based on causes
and effects relations in more probable
 The reviewer admire to Weber for describing about
the ethos of religion is one of the variables that
enable to come the expansion of capitalism and
well economic life through the name of religious
dogma because this idea is incredibly applied to the
private sectors today in Ethiopia.
And, what the reviewer has observed the works
of Max Weber on the negative side are:
 Weber spent most of his life doing detailed historical
studies, not finding and doing historical empirical
data
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 Mostly his life span had passed on the studying of
religion and capitalism to rejoin the work of Karl
Marx even if the duly societies were under troubles
in various social disorders like the eve of world war
first.
 The author of the study couldn’t describe about
gender based explanation when he studied The
Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of capitalism
If the reviewer were given a chance to conduct
this research, the reviewer will try to improve the quality
of the book by doing appropriate sample selection from
the entire continent instead of only focusing on
European and some Asian religious and their economy
background. In addition to this, the reviewer will develop
quantitative and qualitative empirical data to be
investigated for the internal consistence of the research.
XIII. Ethical Considerations
Weber’s thesis could not attempt to follow the
procedures of research and following the professional
writing systems because there are no citations and
references, except index. In contrast, the researcher
doesn’t violate the confidentiality guarantees of the
participant since the reviewer not observed the names of
the individuals as well as any situations that put the
research participants at risk of harm as the result of their
participation.
XIV.
Other Scholars on the Thesis of
Max Weber
The reviewer of this thesis has found that some
scholars like the American sociologist Gerhard Lenski,
and Peter L. Berger and David Martin have argued for
the thesis of Max Weber on their studies “Religious
Impact on Politics” and “Protestant Revolution in Latin
America” respectively. And, other scholars like David
Cantoni and Dudley and Blum have argued against the
thesis of Weber on their studies “The Economic Effects
of the Protestant Reformation” and “Religion and
Economic Growth” respectively.
XV. The Current Situations on the
Max Weber’s Idea
The reviewer of this article has searched for
what the Weber’s ideas seem like to internationally and
nationally today. The reviewer observed that the famous
international companies like Microsoft Company,
MacDonald transnational Company are managed by the
Protestants. In Ethiopian context, Dembel, giant real
states, different Construction Company like Yen
Command Construction Company, Alemayehu Ketema
General Construction, and huge private companies are
led and managed by the Protestants.
A Review of Max Weber’s thesis on the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
XVII.
Conclusion
Critical
2. Antonio, L.J. and Glassman.R.M. eds. 1985. A
Weber- Marx Dialogue. Lawrence, Kensas:
University Press of Kansas
3. Antonio, Robert J. 1985. A Weber- Marx Dialogue.
Lawrence: University Press of Kensas
4. Blum A. and Dudley H. 2001. Religion and Economy
Growth: Was Weber Right?
5. Bryman, Alan.1988. Quantity and Quality in Social
Research. Contemporary Social Research Series.
General Editor Martin Blumer. UCL Press and
Routledge.
6. Brubaker, Rogers. 1984. The Limits of Rationality:
An Essayon the Social and Moral Thought of Max
Weber. London: Allen and Unwin.
7. Burder, Thomas. 1976. Wax Weber’s Theory of
Concept Formation: History, Laws and Idea Types:
Durhen, N.C.; Duke University Presss
8. Cantoni, David. 2009. The Economic Effects on the
Protestant Reformation: Testing the Weber
Hypothesis in the German Land
9. Giddens, Antony. 1970. ‘Max, Weber, and the
Development of Capitalism: Sociology.” Vo.4 (No
4), 1970
10. Giddens, Antony eds. 2005. The Protestant Ethic
and the Spirits of Capitalism: Translated by Talcot
Parson. Publishers: Taylor and Francis Group,
2005.
11. Hadden, Richard. 1997. Sociological Theory: An
Introduction to the Classical Tradition. Ca: Broad
View press
12. Herva, Soma. 1988. “The Genesis of Max Weber’s
Verstehende Sociologie.” Acta Sociologic 31: 146
13. Kalberg, Stephen.1985. 1985 “The Role of Ideal
Interests in Max Weber’s Comparative Historical
Sociology.” In R. J. Antonio and R. M. Glassman
Dialogue. Lawrence:
(eds.), A Weber-Marx
University Press of Kansas:46–67.
14. Kalberg, Stephen. 1997. “Max Weber’s Sociology:
Research Strategies and Modes of Analysis.” In
Charles Camic (ed.), Reclaiming the Sociological
57
Kieran.2004.
Max
introduction. Ca: Pluto Press
1. Allen,
Weber’s
© 20 16 Global Journals Inc. (US)
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At the same time as summarizing major reviews
to The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism
initiated over the past decades, this paper also points to
numerous ways in which the reviewing on The Protestant
Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism made more effective.
In particular, it emphasizes how the west developed a
distinctively rational religious system (Protestant) that
played a key role in the rise of rational economic system
(capitalism).
The rationales that Weber’s work on The
Protestant Ethics and The Spirits of Capitalism were; to
describe how the Protestant Ethic to societal domain
and social carrier and their relationships to one another
leads to a concern with social change, to explain the
general issues of why Protestant institutions in the
western world had grown progressively more rational
while powerful barriers seemed to prevent a similar
development in the rest of the world, and to identify
relationship among a variety of the world’s religions and
the development only in the West of capitalist economy
system.
The main intention areas of Max Weber to study
about The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism
were: Weber wanted to illustrate how the origin of a
peculiar spirit that eventually made modern rational
capitalism in the Western Europe., and Weber needed to
demonstrate and rejoin how history and economy had
come over to modern western societies based on
German Historical School and Marxist School of
Economics.
Max Weber has used comparative-historical
sociology research method, ideal type, verstehen,
causality research methods. Primary and secondary
data collection instruments have been also used by
Weber.
Weber has debated to the work of Marx on
religion and Economy. Among their dialogue Marx
believed capitalism as an independent variable of
References Références Referencias
2016
Weber never views society as organic and holistic
entities and social world with delineated boundaries
(Herva, 1998; Parson, 1967).
Weber couldn’t have used research techniques and
procedures for his work (Ritzer, 2011).
Weber rejects the assumption that the origin of
economic ethic for the purpose of the exploitation of
labour power (Lowith, 1993).
The spirits of capitalism are superficial for keeping
the benefits of the whole societies (Sayer, 1991)
Dialectical materials on class struggle, not
dialectical philosophy, are necessary for the
elimination of the system of capitalism (Marx,1843
quoted in Ritzer, 2011)
religion, but Weber stated capitalism as a dependent
variable of religion. Weber also argued a remarkable
fusion of historical research and sociological theorizing,
to understand any social states of affairs or societal
conditions are to understand the actions of individual
members there in.
The reviewer critical discussions on the strength
and the weakness parts have also been described. And,
the ethical considerations of Weber has been illustrated,
and finally the critiques of Weber which were given by
functionalists and conflict theorist have been involved on
his study
Year
The Critiques of Max Weber
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XVI.
A Review of Max Weber’s thesis on the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
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