Max Weber and Capitalism

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how Max Weber's commentary on capitalism is rooted in sociology and religion. The paper also discusses how Weber's works are rooted in Calvinism. In addition, the paper examines the Confucian influences in Weber's work as well as Weber's ideas and thoughts on education.

From the Paper:

"One of the defining characteristic of Weber's views on capitalism is that it has roots in Calvinism. Weber examines the fact that religion is often associated with rejecting notions of capitalism and monetary success and that the religiously virtuous should deny their motivation to make a profit, but that Calvinism and Protestantism is the exception to this rule. In his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Weber says that the Reformation was responsible for a lot of the ideas that we affiliate with capitalism today. In a sense, the book is an examination of the function of Protestantism and the sociology of religion in general, an institution that has always had some type of exchange with economics and capitalism whether in support of it or against it."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Agevall, Ola. Swedberg, Richard. The Max Weber Dictionary: Key Words and Central Concepts (2005). Stanford University Press: Stanford. 360 pages.
• Collins, Randall. "Weber's Last Theory of Capitalism" (1980). American Sociological Review Vol. 45, pages 925-942.
• Samier, Eugenie. "Weber on Education and its Administration: Prospects for Leadership in a Rationalized World" (2002). Educational Management Administration & Leadership Vol. 30, pages 27-45.
• Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (2003). Courier Dover Publications: New York. 292 pages.

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