The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905)
In the west, capitalism was allowed to develop due to individual greed
John Calvin (1509-64) taught that everyones fate was chosen by God before they were born - some chosen for salvation and others for eternal damnation. No-one could determine which group they were in nor could they change or influence it.
Hard work was considered a 'calling' and the only way to worship God was through hard work. Anything that deviated from work was evil and a sin.
By encouraging people to work hard, it effectively meant that capitalism had enough reason to take root in society
Weber claimed that Calvinism was not the 'sole cause' of capitalism but religion could be used to shape the economy.
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