The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

In Chapter 5, Weber argues that the spirit of capitalism has formed a “steel-hard casing” that serves to bind individuals instead of making them free (124). In what ways does Weber argue that capitalism entraps individuals and limits their growth? Do you agree with his argument?

What is economic traditionalism? How does it limit the development of a capitalist society?

In what ways did the doctrine of predestination alter Protestants’ conception of God? How did this doctrine manifest in changes in their everyday life?

What was Martin Luther’s role in developing the notion of a calling? Was Luther’s conception of work compatible with the spirit of capitalism?

What role did the Protestant emphasis on a methodical organization of one’s life have on the development of a capitalist work ethic?

How does Calvinism differ from Lutheranism in its understanding of the vocational calling?

What does Weber mean by “this-worldly work”? How did Lutheranism’s emphasis on this-worldly work differ from Catholic understandings of morality?

Why did the baptizing sects advocate an avoidance of pleasure, and how did such teachings impact the development of the Protestant work ethic?