Based on weber's “the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism”, to what extent is the calvinist idea of predestination linked to the birth of modern capitalism?

Páginas: 3 (624 palabras) Publicado: 19 de septiembre de 2010
Based on Weber’s “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”, to what extent is the Calvinist idea of predestination linked to the birth of modern capitalism?
Weber’s book “The ProtestantEthic and the Spirit of Capitalism” is a study on protestant ethics and the spirit and emerge of capitalism, and the relationship between both these ideas. In these studies, Weber explains thatProtestant ethics, specifically the Calvinist ones, swayed people into working in the financial world with the goal of gaining economic benefit. This large number of people who took over this workaccumulating wealth was a strong force in the development of modern capitalism. Calvinism is a branch of Protestantism which believes in predestination, the idea that god has already decided who is saved and whois condemned.
Weber explains that, driven by the anxiety of the uncertainty of the salvation due to predestination, Calvinists searched for comfort and to get rid of the fear of being damned in theattempt to do well in work which accumulates wealth. The work by these Protestants is not done in the hopes of receiving salvation, but based on a belief that God will help the ones who are savedprosper in their business “in practice this means that God helps those who help themselves.”(Protestant, p115). Due to religious ethics, Protestantism frowns upon over-indulgence, and so the money thatis made by working and investment, goes back into the business to expand and increment the amount of money being made. Also, Protestantism holds the ideal of working hard for success very close, whichleads all these working Protestants to work hard and invest more on further business. Therefore, Weber argues, that the hard working protestant attitude as well as the Calvinist predestination fear ofhaving been condemned by God were two driving forces for the development and the “spirit” of the modern Capitalist system which holds close some similar ethics to the Protestant ones.
However, it...
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