Weber, Max, Old Testament usury prohibition, ancient Jews' ethical dualism, religion's economic activity evaluation
Samenvatting
A discussion of the Old Testament prohibition of usury (Exodus 22:24). According to Max Weber (Gesammelte Aufsatze zur Religionssoziologie III. Das antike Judentum [Collected Essays on the Sociology of Religion III: Ancient Judaism], 3rd edition, Tubingen, 1963), the separation of ethics for internal & external social groups in Judaism has remained permanently significant for the religious evaluation of economic activity. This ethic found its most striking expression in the prohibition of usury. Lending money at interest to one's kin was forbidden, but lending to outsiders was acceptable. Weber thought that this ethical dualism meant that the Puritan inner-worldly asceticism cannot be found in Judaism. Moreover, proving oneself economically was not a necessity in the Jewish ethic. Modified HA.
