The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
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In The Protestant Ethic, Max Weber opposes the Marxist concept of dialectical materialism and relates the rise of the capitalist economy to the Calvinist belief in the moral value of hard work and the fulfillment of one's worldly duties. Based on the original 1905 edition, this volume includes, along with Weber's treatise, an illuminating introduction, a wealth of explanatory notes, and exemplary responses and remarks-both from Weber and his critics-sparked by publication of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. This is the first English translation of the 1905 German text and the first volume to include Weber's unexpurgated responses to his critics, which reveal important developments in and clarifications of Weber's argument.
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After half a year out of college, I have experienced a prestigious but exploitative internship, a few months of unemployment, and my real induction into the working world (as a government employee). These experiences forced me to confront my own neuroses after years at a high-stress university - my inability to handle free time and cultivate a life outside of work and my fears of being useless. And so it seemed like time to read Weber. I definitely identified with this book more than I would like to. Granted, I had to slog through the really dense section about obscure reformation personalities. (I hadn't heard the name Ulrich Zwingli since that reformation history class I had to take in high school!) But I'm glad I'm read it, and the last 10 pages were heartbreakingly good.
