The Weber Thesis

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses Chapter 17 of Weber's work "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" entitled "Religious Affiliation and Social Stratification" that contends that the Protestant religious beliefs have had an immense contribution to the development of capitalism. The paper then explores how Weber asserts that the real capitalism originated in Europe and is a Western phenomenon. Finally, the paper looks at Weber's treatment of bureaucracy and its characteristics.

Outline:
Religious Affiliation and Social Stratification
The Origins of Industrial Capitalism in Europe
Bureaucracy

From the Paper:

""The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism", a study of Max Weber, a German economist and sociologist, written in 1904 highlights the idea that capitalism has appeared as a direct consequence of the fact that the Protestant ethic has determined large numbers of people to engage in work in the secular world, developing their own enterprises and starting activities related to trade in order to become wealthy. This conception, named also "the Weber thesis" has inspired many of the modern economic theories and has somehow made the connection between one's spiritual beliefs and his or her approaches in the professional arena ("The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Social Research, Vol. XI, 1944")."

Sample of Sources Used:

• WEBER Max, 1981, "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism", Blackwell Publishing, 324 pages;
• FISCHOFF Ephraim, 1944, "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Social Research", Vol. XI, pp.62 - 68;
• FREUND Julien, 1968, "The Sociology of Max Weber", New York: Vintage Books.

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