Protestantse ethiek en rationeel kapitalisme. Bijdrage tot een oneindige discussie

Samenvatting

Protestant ethic and the rational aspect of capitalism. In an effort to straighten out misunderstandings about Webers famous essay, the author first asks the question why it has become a classic feature of sociology. Some discrepancies in Webers objectives are hinted at. His first chapter was based on a Ph. D. thesis from one of his students, Maftin Offenbacher. This chapter is severely criticised with the help of a new book on Webers essay by the Swedish economic historian Kurt Samuelsson called Economy and Religion. Summaries are given of this book and of Webers argument. Several of Samuelssons remarks appear to be misdirected when he tries to attack Weber on too many levels with the aim only to demonstrate the non-existence of a relation between protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. His criticism of inner logic of Webers contribution, however, is thought to be sound. Besides, his book contains a useful compilation of Webers criticism. In his summing up the author states that we can’t give a general judgement on Webers article. Various themes, which Weber was to work out later must already have occupied his thought at that early period. Some of these are to be appreciated, e.g. Webers theory of the innerioorldly asceticism, others on the contrary, were too little developed yet in this essay, e.g. the relation to the capitalist ethos and the general aspects of the social psychology of religion and of his later theories on progressive rationalization. Weber should have stopped before using his idealtypical method in the analysis of the development of capitalist thought. Nowadays, an individualising, rather than generalising approach in historical sociology should be prefered in combination with functional methods.