Centennial Rumination on Max Weber's the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of CapitalismUniversal-Publishers, 13. märts 2006 - 272 pages In 1904-1905 Max Weber published the sociological classic "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism." In this book Weber argues that religion, specifically "ascetic Protestantism" provided the essential social and cultural infrastructure that led to modern capitalism. Weber's suggests that Protestantism has "an affinity for capitalism." Indeed, something within Protestantism-by accident or design-creates the necessary preconditions that lead to the flowering of a just, free, and prosperous society. At the same time, Weber wonders if the economic backwardness of certain societies and regions of the world are somehow related to their religious affiliation. Weber's century old thesis challenges the erroneous core assumptions of many secular humanists, postmoderns, Roman Catholic traditionalists, and Islamists. In view of the threat of the War on Terror, and in the face of the inadequate response of secularist and post-modern intellectuals, it is vital that we understand and appreciate the profound paradigm shift that occurred during the sixteenth and seventeenth century that led to the unfolding of modern capitalism. Despite a plethora of critics Max Weber's one-hundred year old thesis still stands. |
From inside the book
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... century old thesis challenges the erroneous core assumptions of many secular humanists, postmoderns, Roman Catholic traditionalists, and Islamists. In view of the threat of the War on Terror, and in the face of the inadequate response ...
... centuries and millennia, from Roman times through the Dark Ages and the Renaissance, man struggled to survive by the sweat of his brow. Often only eking out a bare existence. He was constantly guarding against premature death, disease ...
... century by century, miraculous feats of innovation, production, distribution, and social coordination. To the free market, we owe all material prosperity, all leisure time, our health and longevity, our huge and growing population ...
... century, two factors—the invention of double-entry bookkeeping and of printing from movable type [c.1453]—were joined by six others, all consequences of the rule of law and of (virtual) equality under the law. These were the invention ...
... century.41 Over the centuries, Islam has declined from a wealthy and influential culture, to one of poverty and low levels of education. Today, within the world's 46 Islamic countries, those who want to modernize, i.e., Westernize, are ...
Contents
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32 | |
Proof of Case Confirmatio or Probatio | 140 |
Refutation of Opposing Arguments Confutatio | 165 |
Conclusion Peroratio | 187 |
Who is Max Weber? | 199 |
Bibliography | 243 |