TextBMohic
MaxWeber
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Maxril1864-June1920)wasaGermansociologist,philosopher,andpolitiistrofoundlyinfluencedsocialtheoryandsocialresearch。HeisknoalarodernsogwithKarlMarxandEmilDurkheim。Weberarguedforthestudyofsocialathroughiivemeahanpureempiricism。Hisworksfotheprocessesofrationalizatioion,ament”thatheassociatedwiththeriseofcapitalismay,andwhichhesawastheresultofanewwayofthinkingabouttheworld。Thetwothesesof“rationalizatioaogetherhelpedlauatiohefousofmodernity。Hisinfluencewasfar-reagacrossthevastarrayofdisary,methodological,ideologidphilosophicalreflesthatarestillourownandinglymoreso。
&ahidtheSpiritofCapitalismublishedastwoessaysin1904and1905,aercollectedtogetherin1919。Weberarguedthatitossibletostruglepreheheinsofcapitalism,butlookedontheseessaysasprovidinginsightintofactorsassociatedwiththedevelopmealismsystemanizatitoWeber,istethidideasihedevelopmentofcapitalism。Hefoundthatsocietieshaviahosewithamhlydevelopedcapitalisteilarly,ihdifferentreligions,mostsuccessfulbusinessleaderswereProtestant。
&husarguedthatthedevelopmentofthegquicklygavetothemoderrepreneurafabulouslysdalsoindustriousworkers。Predestinationizingovereiequalityameantthatamaterialwealthcouldbetakenasasignofsalvatioerlife。Thebelieversthusjustifiedpursuitofprofitwithreligion,asinsteadofbeingfuelledbymorallysuspebitioioedbyahighlymoralaedphilosophy。ThisWebercalledthe“spiritofcapitalism”:itriousideologythatwasbehind—aablyledto—thecapitalisteicsystem。
Thefolloart2takeahidtheSpiritofCapitalism。
Promptsf
1。ThepassagebeginswithaseriesofideaspreachedbyBenjaminFranklin。Whatarealltheseideasedwith?
2。Whatistheauthor’sattitudetowardsBenjaminFranklinandhispreag?
3。Inwhatwayarethetwoattitudesabdifferent?
4。WhatisWeber’sattitudetmoney?
5。WhatisthespiritofcapitalismproposedbyMaxWeber?Howisitdifferentfromthetraditionalcapitalism?
6。Whatdoesutilitariahispassage?
7。Inwhatwayestybeusefulratherthanvirtuous?
8。Whatismeantbythesummumbonumofhis(Frahic?
&horpointsraph16“thisreversalofwhatweshouldaturalrelationship”。Whatdoes“thisreversal”heremean?Whatshould“theionship”belike?
[1]“Remember,thattimeismotenshillings1adaybyhislaboesabroad,orsitsidle,onehalfofthatday,thoughhespendsbutsixpenghisdiversionoridletheonlyexpense;hehasreallyspehrownaway,fiveshillings,besides。
[2]“Remember,thatcreditismoney。Ifamashismoneylieinmyhaisdue,hegivesmei,orsomuchasImakethattime。Thisamountstoasiderablesumwhereamanhasgoedmakesgooduseofit。
[3]“Remember,thatmoheprolifieratingnature。Momosbegetmore,andsoon。Fiveshillingsturnedissix,turnedagaihreependsoon,tillitbeesahundredpouhereisofit,themoreitproduceseveryturning,sothattheprofitsrisequidquicker。Hethatkillsabreediroysallhertothethousaiomurdersa,destroysallthatitmighthaveproduscoresofpounds。”
[4]“Rememberthissaying,thegoodpaymasterislordofanothermaisknoundexaehepromises,mayatanytime,andonanyo,raiseallthemoneyhisfriendsspare。Thisissometimesofgreatuse。Afterindustryandfrugality,nothingtributesmoretofayoungmahanpunctualityandjustiallhisdealings;thereforeneverkeepborrowedmoneyahetimeyoupromised,lestadisappoiupyourfriend’spurseforever。
[5]“Themasthataffe’screditaretarded。Thesoundofyourhammeratfiveinthemhtatnight,heardbyaakeshimeasysixmoifheseesyouatabilliardtable,orhearsyourvoiceatatavern,whenyoushouldbeatwork,hesendsforhismoday;demandsit,beforehereceiveit,inalump。‘Itshows,besides,thatyouaremindfulofwhatyouowe;itmakesyouappearacarefulaswellasaman,andthatstillincreasesyourcredit。’
[6]“Bewareofthinkingallyouroossess,andoflivingagly。Itisamistakethatmanypeoplewhohavecreditfallinto。Topreventthis,keepaaetimebothofyourexpensesandyourine。Ifyoutakethepainsatfirsttomentionparticulars,itwillhavethisgoodeffect:youwilldiscoverhowwonderfullysmall,trifliuptesums,andwilldiswhatmighthavebeen,andmayforthefuturebesaved,withoutogaince。
[7]“Forsixpoundsayearyoumayhavetheuseofonehundredpounds,providedyouareamanofknownprudenesty。
[8]“Hethatspendsagroat2adayidly,spendsidlyabovesixpoundsayear,whichisthepricefortheuseofonehundredpounds。
[9]“Hethatwastesidlyagroat’sworthofhistimeperday,ohaestheprivilegeofusingonehundredpoundseachday。
[10]“Hethatidlylosesfiveshillings’worthoftime,losesfiveshillings,andmightasprudentlythrowfiveshillingsintothesea。
[11]“Hethatlosesfiveshillings,notosum,butalltheadvamightbemadebyturningitindealing,whichbythetimethatayoungmanbeesold,willamounttoasiderablesumofmoney。”
[12]ItisBenjaminFrankliousiehesamewhiairizesinhisdmaliciousPieriCultureasthesupposedoffaithoftheYaisthespiritofcapitalismwhichherespeaksii,noonewilldoubt,howeverlittlewemaywishtoclaimthateverythingwhichcouldbeutothatspiritisediuspauseamomenttosiderthispassage,thephilosophyofwhibergersumsupinthewords,“Theymaketallowoutofdmoofmeyofthisphilosophyofavariceappearstobetheidealofthehoman,aheideaofadutyoftheindividualtowardtheincreaseofhiscapital,whichisassumedasaself。Trulywhatisherepreaplyameansofmakingone’swayintheworld,butapeculiarethifraofitsrulesistreatednotasfoolishasfetfuly。Thatistheesseer。Itisnotmerebusiesortofthingisoisahisisthequalitywhiterestsus。
[13]WhenJacobFugger5,ioabusinessassociatewhohadretiredandersuadehimtodothesame,sincehehadmadeenoughmoneyandshouldletothershaveace,rejectedthataspusillanimitya“he(Fugger)thoughtotherwise,hewaomakemoneyaslongashecould,”thespiritofhisstatemelyquitedifferentfromthatofFranklin。Whatintheformercaseressionofergandapersonalinorallyral,iakesoerofethifortheductoflife。Theceptspiritofcapitalismishereusedinthisspese,itisthespiritofmoderncapitalism。ForthatweareheredealingonlywithWesternEuropeanandAmericapitalismisobviousfromthewayinwhiitalismexistedindia,Babylon6,intheclassicworld7,andintheMiddleAges8。Butinallthesecases,asweshallsee,thisparticularethos
[14]Now,allFranklin’smoralattitudesarecoloredwithutilitarianism9。Hoyisuseful,becauseitassurescredit;soarepunctuality,industry,frugality,andthatisthereasoues。Alogicaldeduthiswouldbethatwhere,foriheappearanestyservesthesamepurpose,thatwouldsuffiunnecessarysurplusofthisvirtuewouldevideoFranklin’seyesaunproductivewaste。Andasamatteroffact,thestoryinhisautobiographyofhistothosevirtues,orthedisofthevalueofastriaheappearanodesty,theassiduousbelittlementofone’sowsiogaingeionlater,sthisimpressitoFrankliues,likeallothers,areonlyinsofarvirtuesastheyareactuallyusefultotheindividual,aeofmereappearanceisalwayssuffiitaplishestheeisawhievitableforstrictutilitarianism。TheimpressionofmahatthevirtuesprofessedbyAmeriismarepurehypocrisyseemstohavebeehisstrikiierisnotbyanymeanssosimple。
[15]BenjaminFranklin’sowappearsinthereallyunusualessofhisautobiography,beliesthatsuspi。Thecethatheascribeshisreoftheutilityofvirtuetoadiviionwhiteoleadhimihhteousness,showsthatsomethihanmeregarnishingfotricmotivesisinvolved。
[16]Infact,thesummumbonum10ofhisethic,theearningofmoreandmoremoney,bihestriceofallspooflife,isaboveallpletelydevoidofaiottosayhedonistic,admixture。Itisthoughtofsopurelyasaself,thatfromthepoihehappinessof,orutilityto,thesingleindividual,itappearseraalandabsolutelyirrational。Manisdomihemakingofmoney,byaastheultimatepurposeofhislife。Eicaisnolongersubordiomanasthemeaisfaaterialhisreversalofwhatweshouldaturalrelationship,soirrationalfromaofview,isevideelyaleadingprialismasitisfntoallpeoplesalistice。Atthesametimeitexpressesatypeoffeelingwhichiscloselyectedwithreligiousideas。Ifwethusask,whyshould“moofmen”,BenjaminFranklihoughhewasacolorlessdeist,answersinhisautobiographywithaquotationfromtheBible,whichhisstriisticfatherdrummedintohimagainandagaininhisyouth:“Seestthouamainhisbusiandbefs。”Theearnihinthemoderneicorderis,solongasitisdoheresultandtheexpressionofvirtueandprofiag;andthisvirtueandproficyare,asitisnownotdifficulttosee,therealAlphaandOmegaofFrahic,asexpressedinthepassageswehavequoted,aswellasinallhisworkswithoutex。
Notes