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The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism with Other Writings on the Rise of the West

Fourth Edition

Max Weber
Translation by Stephen Kalberg

Publication Date - September 2008

ISBN: 9780195332537

608 pages
Paperback

For the first time in one volume, this engaging text integrates Weber's exploration of the spirit of capitalism's origins with his larger project: a multi-causal analysis of the West's distinctiveness and its sources.

Description

For more than 100 years, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism has set the parameters for the debate over the origins of modern capitalism. Now more timely and thought-provoking than ever, this esteemed classic of twentieth-century social science examines the deep cultural "frame of mind" that influences work life to this day in northern America and Western Europe. Stephen Kalberg's internationally acclaimed translation captures the essence of Weber's style as well as the subtlety of his descriptions and causal arguments.

Now, for the first time in one volume, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism with Other Writings on the Rise of the West integrates Weber's exploration of the spirit of capitalism's origins with his larger project: a multi-causal analysis of the West's distinctiveness and its sources. Weber's texts present wide-ranging discussions on the Western city, state, forms of rulership and law, and modes of economic innovation. Moreover, in many selections Weber offers in-depth and insightful comparisons to China and India. Readings on the "economic ethics" of Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Catholicism further illuminate the distinct qualities of the West's trajectory and its diverse causes. A separate section examines the long-range influence of the ascetic Protestant sects and churches on American society.

To draw readers into the material, this engaging volume includes extended introductions by the editor, many new translations, a chronology of Weber's life, an expanded glossary and bibliography, and numerous clarifying endnotes. In addition, Kalberg addresses a variety of debates concerning the central elements of contemporary life. Ideal for courses in sociology, anthropology, political science, history, international relations, and economics, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism with Other Writings on the Rise of the West is an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand the origins and endurance of the modern West.

About the Author(s)

Stephen Kalberg is Associate Professor of Sociology at Boston University and an affiliate of the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University. He is the editor of Max Weber: Readings and Commentary on Modernity (2005) and author of Max Weber's Comparative-Historical Sociology (1994). He teaches courses in sociological theory and comparative political cultures.

Previous Publication Date(s)

June 2001

Table of Contents

    *+New to this edition
    General Introduction: Max Weber and the Modern West, Stephen Kalberg
    I. THE PROTESTANT ETHIC AND THE SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM
    Introduction to the Translation, Stephen Kalberg
    Introduction to The Protestant Ethic, Stephen Kalberg
    Part I: The Problem
    Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation and Social Stratification
    Chapter 2: The Spirit of Capitalism
    Chapter 3: Luther's Conception of the Calling
    Part II: The Vocational Ethic of Ascetic Protestantism
    Chapter 4: The Religious Foundations of This-Worldly Asceticism
    A. Calvinism
    B. Pietism
    C. Methodism
    D. The Baptizing Sects and Churches
    Chapter 5: Asceticism and the Spirit of Capitalism
    *II. THE PROTESTANT SECTS IN AMERICA AND THE UNIQUENESS OF WESTERN RATIONALISM
    Introduction, Stephen Kalberg
    I. "The Protestant Sects and the Spirit of Capitalism"
    II. "'Churches' and 'Sects' in North America: An Ecclesiastical Sociopolitical Sketch"
    III. "Prefatory Remarks" to Collected Essays in the Sociology of Religion (1920)
    *III. DEMARCATING THE UNIQUENESS OF THE WEST THROUGH COMPARISONS: MAGIC AND THE ECONOMIC ETHICS OF THE WORLD RELIGIONS
    Introduction, Stephen Kalberg
    I. Main Concepts: Economic Ethics, the Influence of Social Carriers, and from Sacred Law to the Ethic of Conviction
    II. India: Hinduism and Buddhism
    III. China: Confucianism
    IV. Confucianism and Puritanism
    V. Judaism
    VI. The Middle East: Islam
    VII. The West: Ancient Christianity and Catholicism
    *IV. THE RISE OF MODERN CAPITALISM: THE WESTERN RATIONALISM AND MODERN WESTERN RATIONALISM DEEP CONTEXTS
    Introduction, Stephen Kalberg
    I. Comparative Cases: China and India
    II. The Ancient and Medieval Cities in the West: Fraternization, Incorporation, and the Dissolution of Clan Ties
    III. The Putting-Out System, Modes of Financing, Mercantilism, and the Factory
    IV. The Definition of Modern Capitalism, and the Relationship of Feudalism and Patrimonialism to Capitalism
    V. The West's Cross-State Competition vs. Hierocracy and Caesaropapism
    VI. Juridical Formalism and the Rational State
    VII. Ethos and Education under Feudalism and Patrimonialism, Clerical Education, and the Puritans' Mass Intellectualism
    VIII. The Sect, Democracy, Tolerance, Freedom of Conscience, and a Cosmos of Abstract Norms
    IX. Bureaucratization, Democracy, and Modern Capitalism
    X. The Impersonality of the Market and Discipline in the Modern Capitalist Factory
    Appendix I: Weber's Summary Statements on "The Protestant Ethic Thesis"
    A. The Development of the Capitalist Frame of Mind (1919-1920)
    B. "A 'Final Rebuttal' to a Critic of 'Spirit of Capitalism'" (1910)
    Appendix II: Suggested Further Reading
    A. The Protestant Ethic Thesis and the Protestant Ethic Debate
    B. Max Weber: Life and Work
    Notes for The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
    Literature Cited
    A. Writings of Max Weber
    B. Secondary Literature
    Acknowledgments
    *A Chronology of Max Weber's Life
    *Glossary
    Name Index
    Subject Index

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