The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

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Max Weber explores the psychological and spiritual foundations that enabled capitalist culture to flourish, challenging the Marxian view that material conditions shape mindsets. He argues that the belief in the moral value of work, particularly influenced by Calvinist Protestantism, led to a this-worldly asceticism that replaced the medieval focus on other-worldly asceticism. This shift fostered a new attitude towards worldly responsibilities and legitimized the pursuit of wealth in early modern England and Northern Europe.