The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (Classic Reprint)

About this book

Excerpt from The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Max Weber's essay, Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus, which is here translated, was first published in the Archiv fur Sozialwissenschaft und Sozialpolitik, Volumes XX and XXI, for 1904-5. It was reprinted in 1920 as the first study in the ambitious series Gesammelte Aufsatze zur Religionssoziologie, which was left unfinished by Weber's untimely death in that same year. For the new printing he made considerable changes, and appended both new material and replies to criticism in footnotes. The translation has, however, been made directly from this last edition. Though the volume of footnotes is excessively large, so as to form a serious detriment to the reader's enjoyment, it has not seemed advisable either to omit any of them or to attempt to incorporate them into the text. As it stands it shows most plainly how the problem has grown in Weber's own mind, and it would be a pity to destroy that for the sake of artistic perfection. A careful perusal of the notes is, however, especially recommended to the reader, since a great deal of important material is contained in them. The fact that they are pri…