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Part 1, Section 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Religion and the “Capitalist Spirit”
The Protestant Calling
Calvinistic Predestination
Puritan Asceticism
Summary
Analysis
Weber remarks that the idea of the calling in modern times has a religious connotation, and the further back one traces the idea through history, the stronger that religious connotation becomes. Significantly, there is no equivalent concept in any Catholic tradition, modern or ancient, while every Protestant tradition contains this concept. Weber suggests that the concept originates from Martin Luther’s German translation of the Bible, in Ecclesiastes, though ancient translations did not contain such a concept. The calling, as Luther established, describes one’s commitment to secular work as the “highest level possible of moral activity.” Rather than Catholicism’s monastic asceticism, Luther regarded doing one’s earthly work well as the only way to honor God.
Martin Luther was a German monk who rebelled against the Catholic Church’s corruption and doctrinal beliefs, and thus initiated the Protestant Reformation. Weber’s belief that Luther derived his concept of a “calling” from a mistranslation of the Bible suggests that the principle might not be biblical at all, merely developed from Luther’s own ideas. Whether the calling comes from the Bible or from Luther’s mind, it plays an undeniably important role in Protestant theology and moves work from something one does to survive to the reason for them to exist in the first place.
Themes
Luther began his theological journey believing, like the Catholic Church, that one’s secular occupation was “morally neutral.” However, as he developed his sola fide (“faith alone”) concept, he started to oppose the monastic lifestyle, since it removed one from the world and the people in it. Luther shifted towards viewing secular work as “the outward expression of Christian charity,” since the Christian works for and with his fellow humans. Weber regards this development of the calling as one the most significant “achievements” of the Reformation. However, he denies that Luther himself had any inclination towards capitalism, and observes that the monk often attacked large merchants and their exploitative interest rates.
Sola fide refers to Luther’s belief that salvation comes through faith alone. This differs from the Catholic teaching that salvation comes through observance of the sacraments (certain religious rituals) and doing good works, which Luther regarded as someone trying to earn their own salvation. For Protestants, this idea of salvation by good works becomes the worst taboo. The fact that Luther’s concept became the basis of the capitalist spirit suggests that religious ideas are so powerful that they often have unintended consequences.
Themes
Notably, Weber argues that the Bible, which Luther believed supported the calling, is primarily traditionalist in its approach towards money. Jesus, especially, teaches his followers to subsist day by day and not to accrue wealth. Weber posits that Luther’s reading of the Bible “was colored by his outlook,” but he himself remained a traditionalist for his entire life. His belief in one’s calling grew primarily out of his belief in God’s “providence,” that God placed each person in a particular position, and they should accept and remain in that position for their entire lives.
Weber’s argument that the Bible espouses a traditionalist mentality suggests that Protestantism’s attitude towards money and economics runs contrary to the Bible. God’s “providence” is a critical concept for many Protestant denominations, and refers to the belief that God is sovereign, all-powerful, and carefully controls every single thing that happens on earth, both good and bad.
Themes
Luther’s view of the calling was new, but steeped in tradition, building upon the German mystics before him. As Luther taught it, the calling was not yet directly tied to the capitalist spirit, but created the seed for other Protestant movements to develop it. In particular, Luther shied away from the “ascetic self-discipline” that later become a staple of the Protestant calling, since it appeared too close to “sanctification [salvation] by works.” Weber states that the subsequent Protestant traditions must be examined as well, since they built upon the concept of calling in ways that directly benefit “capitalist development.” Of these, Calvinism made the greatest impact, taking many of Luther’s ideas to their logical extremes.
The German mystics’ influence on Luther’s thinking suggests that, although he tried to source his ideas only from the Bible, he was undeniably shaped by his time and place in history as well. Weber suggests that Luther himself was neither a capitalist nor understood how his own ideas would fuel the capitalist spirit. This again suggests that religious ideologies are immensely powerful forces in society, capable of shaping history and causing centuries of unintended consequences.
Themes
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Weber states that both Lutheranism and Catholicism ardently oppose Calvinism, in part because it created an entirely new relationship “between religious life and earthly action.” Compared to the Lutherans and Catholics, the Calvinists embody an “earnest […] worldliness” and view “life as a task to be accomplished.” Weber argues that although historical and political differences exist between groups, they are not enough to explain their radically different concepts of life.
Calvinism formed from the teachings of John Calvin, a French theologian working in Switzerland during the early years of the Protestant Reformation. Although divisive, Calvin sits alongside Luther as one of the most important figures of Protestant history, particularly since he took many of Luther’s loose ideas and formed them into a concrete theological system.
Themes
Weber states that although the Protestants wrought great economic changes in society, he does not believe that this was ever their intention. The Protestant Reformers were always singularly interested in “the salvation of souls.” The fact that their religiously motivated actions created such change simply demonstrates how “‘ideas’ become effective in history.” He also states that he is dealing with the Reformation purely as a “historical cause” and does not mean to evaluate the morality of any Protestant theologies, though neither will he defend them. Nor does Weber mean to prove that the Protestant ethic is solely responsible for developing the capitalist spirit and materialist culture, only that it played a significant role in shaping and fostering it.
Once again, Protestantism’s accidental shaping of modern economic history suggests that organized religion is one of the most formative influences on human society, even when those religions don’t intend to reach beyond the metaphysical. Weber claims that he does not intend to pass moral judgments on the various Protestant movements, but his upcoming sharp criticisms of Calvinist theology in particular suggest otherwise.
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