A Macat Analysis of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Focusing on the differences he observed in economic behavior between Catholics and Protestants, Weber's seminal 1905 work examines the role that morality plays in the lives people choose to lead seeking to isolate beliefs and practices that influenced economic behaviour. He found Catholics generally less motivated to succeed in business than Protestants because of their belief that everyone could achieve salvation while Calvinists believe in predestination and nothing a person did can save a soul marked for damnation. Left with little hope, Weber argued, Protestant believers sought to demonstrate their worthiness through hard work, an ethic that helped capitalism develop and flourish.