The Relation of Inner-Worldly Asceticism to the Rise of Capitalism in Western Europe

In this paper, I would be discussing the relationship between the protestant ethics (mainly with reference to one of its ethics, i.e. the inner-worldly asceticism) and the rise of capitalism in Western Europe. The answer has been divided into six parts. The first part is the introduction, the second part attempts to give a brief explanation of what Weber meant by capitalism, the third talks about the protestant ethics, the fourth deals with the relationship between the inner-worldly asceticism and capitalism, the fifth part briefly outlines a few criticisms to Weber s theory and this is followed by a short conclusion.

I

Introduction

Max Weber wrote 'The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism' with the goal of explaining the emergence of modern capitalism in Western Europe. According to Weber, the western capitalism assumed its shape because it was supported by a certain belief system, namely the "Protestant ethic" [Allen 2004]. Weber highlights the relationship between the protestant ethics (particularly with respect to one of its ideologies, the inner-worldly asceticism) and the rise of capitalism. In order to understand how Weber locates a positive relationship between the two, it is important to know how he perceives these concepts.

As their names suggest, protestant ethic is clearly a religious ideology and capitalism on the other hand, economic. Broadly, one may find religion and economy as poles apart. Weber however was of the opinion that it is the ideas, beliefs, values and world-view of human societies, which guides how an individual acts in a society, even in the economic sphere. Since religion prescribes certain guidelines for behavior, it very well influences and shapes the manner in which the followers orient their activities [Weber 1948]. Coming back to his major argument, he notices that there are certain affinities between the protestant ethics and the economic system of capitalism and these affinities helped capitalism to grow in the western world.

II

What is Capitalism?

Weber presents an extraordinary observation in the beginning of this book. He points out that although knowledge and observation of great refinement have existed elsewhere, but it was only in the West that rationalization in science, law and culture has taken birth and continues to exist in such a great degree. The modern West absolutely depends on the political, technical and economic conditions for its whole existence, so, the most important functions of everyday life have come to be in the hands of technically, commercially and above all legally trained individuals [Weber 1948; 13]. In other words, the Orient lacked a valid science as opposed to the west where it existed in a highly developed form. This peculiarity of the west brings it to the most fateful force in the modern life that is, capitalism.

People have always desired wealth and it has been regarded as a symbol of status and power, but never before did this desire assume the organized form that it did in modern or rational capitalism. It was this ‘rational capitalism' of the modern times that Weber was interested in and he distinguishes it from the traditional capitalism of the former times [Weber 1948; 18-20]. Traditional capitalism was a risky business that involved importing of luxury goods from distant places. The aim was to extract maximum profit in a series of one-shot deals, as no body knew when the next business opportunity would come. The modern rational capitalism, on the other hand, depends upon mass production and distribution of goods, which became highly possible due to the industrial revolution and factory production. The modern capitalism unlike the traditional capitalism not just dealt with luxury goods but almost every product that is used in day-to-day life.

The capitalists make use of the wealth in order to generate more wealth and there is a thirst for money making. This is the very essence of modern capitalism which is an economic system aiming at the unlimited accumulation of profit through the rational organization of production [Weber 1948]. As mentioned before, the growth of factories and the discovery of new techniques of production made it possible for the capitalists to earn vast amount of renewed profit. The spirit of capitalism then, is the earning of more and more money, combined with the strict avoidance of all spontaneous luxuries of life. The production process was rationally organized and the worker was a means to the end, which is, the profit. The workers under this industrious bourgeois class performed labor as if it were an absolute end in itself, in other words, a calling [Allen 2004]. This was unlike the workers