Calvinist Predestination and the Spirit of Capitalism: The Religious Argument of the Weber Thesis Reexamined

The paper reconsiders the Weber Thesis of a linkage between Calvinism and capitalism. It first restates this sociological Thesis in terms of the Calvinist doctrine of predestination as its theological core and premise in virtue of being treated as the crucial religious factor of the spirit of modern...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human studies 2018-12, Vol.41 (4), p.565-602
Main Author: Zafirovski, Milan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Calvin, John (1509-1564)
Calvinism
Capitalism
Economic sociology
Economic theory
Education
Fate
Modern Philosophy
Morality
Philosophical Paper
Philosophy
Philosophy of the Social Sciences
Political Philosophy
Religion
Socioeconomic factors
Sociolinguistics
Sociological theory
Sociology
Theology
Theoretical
THEORETICAL / PHILOSOPHICAL PAPER
Weber, Max (1864-1920)
Work ethic
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Summary:The paper reconsiders the Weber Thesis of a linkage between Calvinism and capitalism. It first restates this sociological Thesis in terms of the Calvinist doctrine of predestination as its theological core and premise in virtue of being treated as the crucial religious factor of the spirit of modern capitalism. Consequently, it proposes that the Weber Thesis' validity and consistency depends on that doctrine, succeeding or failing as a sociological theory with the latter depending on whether or not it is unique in theological terms, as well as economic-social consequences. For that purpose, it reexamines and compares the Calvinist doctrine of predestination with the pre-Calvinist versions and infers that it is basically identical to or compatible with these. It then draws the implications for the Weber Thesis in respect of the degree of its validity or consistence. It concludes that the Weber Thesis likely is fail as a sociological-economic theory with the Calvinist doctrine of predestination to the extent that the latter is its theological ground and revealed not to be unique and new theologically and probably in terms of its societal effects.
ISSN:0163-8548
1572-851X
DOI:10.1007/s10746-018-9481-9