Tuesday, August 6, 2019
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Essay Example for Free
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Essay Maximilian Carl Emil Weber (1864-1920) was a renowned German political economist whose works are still influential in the field to date. He is credited among the founder of the modern study of public administration and sociology. In his analysis on religion, Weber wrote an essay on The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism wherein he argued that religion has largely shaped the different cultures of the world, creating differences between the eastern and western cultures. It is religion, according to him, which brought about the spirit of capitalism and bureaucracy in the western political culture. Protestantism and capitalism are social aspects that intermingle at several places. Protestantism is often associated with revolution and anarchy. It refers to a form of Christian faith holding principals of reformation. Reformation is this context refers to the revolution in the Christian realm which happened ion the 16th century in protest against some principles of the Roman Catholic Church. The leaders of the reformation established the protestant movement to run parallel to the Roman Catholic Church. The term is not used in reference to any particular church, but for the group of churches excluding Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.            Early Protestantism was characterized by the acceptance of the Christian holy book as the only source of absolute truth. They believe in universal priesthood and that faith is the only justification of one’s relationship in God. It is therefore a sin to doubt God and the provisions poof the Bible.            Capitalism on the other hand is an economic system that believes in the free market mode of business. A capitalist society is characterized by minimum state intervention in economic activities. Capitalists argue for the control of the economy being effected by market forces, where an entrepreneur engages in a capital investment to earn profits. Morality in such cases is relegated as the businessman is strictly after profits. In such a society, people should work extra hard to harness the benefits an economic venture.            There is however no society that can be fully capitalist. In all societies, the government has to intervene to inculcate an orderly environment for business to flourish. It has to create order where there is none, and establish a society of understanding, not the state of nature argued by Thomas Hobbes where life is short, brutish and involves a war of all against all. A capitalist system encourages hard work. Individuals are competing against themselves, and a social welfare tendency is mostly a marketing strategy.            The bible is clear in support of capitalism. In the parable of the servant who was reprimanded because he did not invest the shilling he was given, Christianity is clear that people should be hard working and invest more. The bible goes ahead to say that whoever dies not work should not eat. This is the spirit of capitalism based on the principle of toiling and consequences of laziness faced by individuals and not groups.            It is argued that the spirit of capitalism is deep rooted in Protestantism. Many of the clergy came from commercial circles. A large number of the adherents of Pietism are former commercial bigwigs, and the probability that they are going to frame the economic policies to suit the capitalist environment is very high. It is notable that  many capitalistic entrepreneurs sprung from clergymen’s families. A good example worth mentioning is Cecil Rhodes.            Protestant churches were open to voluntary membership. This is a characteristic feature ioif a capitalist system, in whose advocates argue for freedom of choice and minimum government intervention, if it must intervene. This is different from the state sponsored European churches in Europe where Max lived. Any member could therefore be trusted in business, irrespective of the sect he confesses. However, misbehavior could cause excommunication.            In America, Weber also noted that the members of the protestant sect used to run the sects. This is at variance with the European model where the state appoints the pastors to rub these establishments, and therefore the pastor becomes a political appointee. The congregation insisted on preaching ethics as opposed to mere ideas of religious dogma. These were considered less important by the congregation at the time. Again members of the American church could replace corrupt or inefficient pastors on such basis.            With time, the influence of the church seemed to wane away, with secular institutions gaining strengths in society. These secular organizations were keen to accept members who exhibit a clear record. The members assured the strict adherence to these principles, and not the hierarchical structure of governance. Traveling salesmen had to have a label indicating them as members of a certain organization, for the sake of building customer confidence.            As Weber argues in his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, the protestant reformation was the origin of ethical behavior for businessmen, and has effectively promoted the growth of capitalism. References Fischoff, E. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Social Research, Vol.XI, 1944,    pp.62-68 Swatos, W. H. (ed) Time, Place, and Circumstance: Neo-Weberian Studies in Comparative       Religious History. New York: Greenwood Press. 1990 Swedberg, R. Max Weber and the Idea of Economic Sociology. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
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