The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism with Other Writings on the Rise of the West, (Paperback)

from pjsullivan

When feudalism broke down in the Late Middle Ages, Weber argues, the capitalism that emerged in its place was an entirely new ethos, accompanied by a peculiar Puritan ethic that dignified the accumulation of wealth as a sign of divine favor. The "spirit" of capitalism was distinct from the impuls...

from HadriantheBlind

Even now, this is a profoundly interesting and detailed book, being the foundation of economic sociology, and is of considerable use today. The main thesis is that several Christian denominations, mainly Calvinists, etc., believed that economic and social prosperity has a religious basis - that ...

from deusvitae

Weber's sociological magnum opus on the relationship between Protestantism, specifically Calvinism and Puritanism, and the development of the capitalistic spirit in the West. He goes through all of his evidence thoroughly; between the text and the notes it is often easy to feel lost in the ocean...

from ServusLibri

Weber's position as the founder of sociology makes the work an importqant reading to the study of capatalism and the ideas of economics. A great number of he details and references that he provides are also worthwhile. The bad news is that this is very much a German academic work. This means tha...

from jacklondon617

Every student should read this book. This book can explain why our world is the way it is.