Weber, Max (1864–1920)

Maximilian Carl Emil Weber was a German sociologist, political economist, lawyer, and politician. His early study of the sociology of religion, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1904/1905, revised 1919/1920) is still regarded as one of his most influential works. In this book, Weber points to a new conception of time that emerges with the development of modern capitalism. Time becomes an economic quantity, a factor of human action, and an object of rationalization. from 1882 to 1886, Weber had studied law, political economy, philosophy, and history in Heidelberg, Berlin, and Göttingen. After 1892, he held posts as a professor of economics at Freiburg, Heidelberg, Vienna, and Munich. He was politically active, and served as a member of the German delegation to the Peace Conference that concluded the Treaty of Versailles. Weber is considered to be one of the founding fathers of modern sociology and an influential analyst of modern society. Weberian concepts, such as those of the freedom from value-judgment (Werturteilsfreiheit), ideal types, and Verstehen (understanding), provided an important contribution to the methodology of the social sciences. At the center of this work is the question of the origins of modern capitalism. For Weber, the fundamental quality of capitalism is economic rationalism. The economy is determined by strict mathematical calculation aimed at the maximization of profit.

[Page 1424]The thesis of Weber's investigation is that there is an intrinsic relationship between characteristics of the Protestant spirit and modern capitalism. Both share an ethic that sees acquisition as an end in itself, and not a means to the satisfaction of needs. Historically important for the formation of this ethic was the development of an idiosyncratic concept of vocation (Beruf) in the Reformation. Vocation is understood in the sense of a divine calling (Berufung). The fulfillment of this calling becomes an end in itself, a duty to be fulfilled in order to live a godly life. Worldly work thus experiences a positive revaluation in contrast to the Roman Catholic conception.

According to Weber, particularly responsible for the development of the modern capitalist spirit are the characteristics of ascetic Protestantism, such as Calvinism. The doctrine of predestination held here presents the psychological drive for the development of this particular ethic. According to the doctrine of predestination, one part of humanity has been predestined by God to eternal salvation, and the other to damnation. The fate of each person is therefore determined by God and not by one's own deeds. There is therefore no way to ensure or to attain the salvation of one's soul. This resulted in religious doubt and inner loneliness of the individual. In order to bear this doctrine, believers made it a duty to regard themselves as chosen and found, in unceasing work, a remedy against their doubts. Even though one's works could not lead to blessedness, they were a sign of chosenness. This drive for self-assurance led to a rational ethical way of life, a “worldly ascetism.” Belief is preserved not in monasteries, but rather in worldly life, and belief finds expression in professional activity. The striving for profit is thereby regarded as intended by God, while the ascetic aspects of the movement work against the enjoyment of possessions. Vocational performance and wealth become mere ends in themselves. Finally, with the fading of its religious roots, the ethic described by Weber experiences its full economic effect. It is reflected in the bourgeois professional ethic and is an essential constituent of the modern capitalist spirit.

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