Weber's Protestant-Ethic Thesis, the Critics, and Adam Smith

Etzrodt, Christian

doi:10.15543/mws/2008/1/3

Cited by 19 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…This implies that it is very hard for someone to believe Adam Smith did not pay any attention to the moral foundation of a free market economy. According to the research by Etzrodt (2008), Adam Smith was a Neo-Calvinist who was deeply influenced by synergies between business ethics and protestant ethics. Bonino (2003) thinks that protestant ethics lead to economic agents believing that profit could be used to meet our needs, but profit is definitely not an absolute end which I can pursue irrespective of the 'common good' of the society as a whole, and society has a right to call me to account both for the legitimacy of its production and for the use of the profit in terms of improving the welfare of society.…”

Section: The Persistence Of the Ethic Of Conviction During The Transfmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Theoretical Framework for Demystifying the Causes of Dysfunction and Disorder in the Chinese Market Economy: A Weberian Perspective

Jim

Liu

2017

Fudan J. Hum. Soc. Sci.

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This paper explores a theoretical framework for demystifying the causes of the dysfunction and disorder of the present Chinese market economy. It is posited that Max Weber's classification of the two potentially conflicting ethics he associates with the behaviour of politicians, the ethic of conviction and the ethic of responsibility offers the basis for a more thorough and accurate account of the dysfunction and disorder within China's current markets and political economy.

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Section: The Persistence Of the Ethic Of Conviction During The Transfmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Theoretical Framework for Demystifying the Causes of Dysfunction and Disorder in the Chinese Market Economy: A Weberian Perspective

Jim

Liu

2017

Fudan J. Hum. Soc. Sci.

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“…Weber, of course, in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism wrote of the spirit of capitalism "the acquisition of more and more money, combined with the strict avoidance of all spontaneous enjoyment…appears as quite transcendental and wholly irrational" (Weber, 1958:53) from the standpoint of eudemonistic self interest. Ascher (2012) and Etzrodt (2008) discussed how this economic spirit was irrational. The traditional motivation for economic activity was consumption.…”

Section: Elements Of Force and Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparison of Some of the Themes of Irrationality, Illusion and Mystification Identified or Inferred by Karl Marx and Max Weber in Their Explanations of the Rise of Capitalism

Farmer

2012

JSR

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This comparative study was undertaken in the belief that our understanding of the modern economic spirit, volatility of global markets and political activism can be furthered by revisiting Marx"s and Weber"s sociological, philosophical, economic and religious explanations of the rise of capitalism. The author identifies and reconsiders much of the scholarly literature on the argument that there are themes of illusion, mystification and irrationality in the classical theorists" explanations and that the themes are antagonists in much of the original writings.

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“…The section of this theory that is applicable to the current topic is the assumption that, given a choice, it is neither obvious nor usual for most wealthy individuals to accumulate surplus that is put back into the business for its expansion. According to Weber, in “traditional” economies, workers stopped working when they earned enough to meet their existing needs (Weber, 2005:23), while those who did become wealthy were just as likely to use their wealth for idleness, privilege, and “an excessive propensity for accumulation” (Etzrodt, 2008:51; Weber, 2005:116).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, private ownership, available labor, a stable government and legal system, effective accounting, and so forth(Etzrodt, 2008).…”

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confidence: 99%

Weber Was Right: Death, Taxes, Working Capital, and the Excessive Propensity for Accumulation

Weaver¹,

Fry²

2012

Sociological Forum

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It turns out that Max Weber was on to something when he suggested that it was not natural or automatic that wealthy individuals invest their capital rather than keep it or spend it on themselves. Patterns of economic growth and capital investment in the United States over the last century indicate that in general some inducement or pressure is necessary to convince those who control money to risk it rather than hoard it.

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Weber's Protestant-Ethic Thesis, the Critics, and Adam Smith

Cited by 19 publications

References 61 publications

A Theoretical Framework for Demystifying the Causes of Dysfunction and Disorder in the Chinese Market Economy: A Weberian Perspective

A Theoretical Framework for Demystifying the Causes of Dysfunction and Disorder in the Chinese Market Economy: A Weberian Perspective

A Comparison of Some of the Themes of Irrationality, Illusion and Mystification Identified or Inferred by Karl Marx and Max Weber in Their Explanations of the Rise of Capitalism

Weber Was Right: Death, Taxes, Working Capital, and the Excessive Propensity for Accumulation

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