The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a book written by sociologist and economist Max Weber in 1904-1905. The original version was in German and it was translated into English by Talcott Parsons in 1930. In the book, Weber argues that Western capitalism developed as a result of the Protestant work ethic. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism has been highly influential, and it is often considered a founding text in economic sociology and sociology in general. Key Takeaways: The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit Of Capitalism Weber’s famous book set out to understand Western civilization and the development of capitalism.According to Weber, societies influenced by Protestant religions encouraged both accumulating material wealth and living a relatively frugal lifestyle.Because of this accumulation of wealth, individuals began to invest money—which paved the way for the development of capitalism.In this book, Weber also put forward the idea of the â€Å"iron cage,† a theory about why social and economic structures are often resistant to change. The Books Premise The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a discussion of Weber’s various religious ideas and economics. Weber argues that Puritan ethics and ideas influenced the development of capitalism. While Weber was influenced by Karl Marx, he was not a Marxist and even criticizes aspects of Marxist theory in this book. Weber begins The Protestant Ethic with a question: What about Western civilization has made it the only civilization to develop certain cultural phenomena to which we like to attribute universal value and significance? According to Weber, only in the West does valid science exist. Weber claims that empirical knowledge and observation that exists elsewhere lacks the rational, systematic, and specialized methodology that is present in the West. Weber argues that the same is true of capitalism—it exists in a sophisticated manner that has never before existed anywhere else in the world. When capitalism is defined as the pursuit of forever-renewable profit, capitalism can be said to be part of every civilization at any time in history. But it is in the West, Weber claims, that it has developed to an extraordinary degree. Weber sets out to understand what it is about the West that has made it so. Webers Conclusions Webers conclusion is a unique one. Weber found that under the influence of Protestant religions, especially Puritanism, individuals were religiously compelled to follow a secular vocation with as much enthusiasm as possible. In other words, hard work and finding success in one’s occupation were highly valued in societies influenced by Protestantism. A person living according to this worldview was therefore more likely to accumulate money. Further, the new religions, such as Calvinism, forbade wastefully using hard-earned money and labeled the purchase of luxuries as a sin. These religions also frowned upon donating money to the poor or to charity because it was seen as promoting beggary. Thus, a conservative, even stingy lifestyle, combined with a work ethic that encouraged people to earn money, resulted in large amounts of available money.   The way these issues were resolved, Weber argued, was to invest the money—a move that gave a large boost to capitalism. In other words, capitalism evolved when the Protestant ethic influenced large numbers of people to engage in work in the secular world, developing their own enterprises and engaging in trade and the accumulation of wealth for investment. In Webers view, the Protestant ethic was, therefore, the driving force behind the mass action that led to the development of capitalism. Importantly, even after religion became less important in society, these norms of hard work and frugality remained, and continued to encourage individuals to pursue material wealth. Weber’s Influence Weber’s theories have been controversial, and other writers have questioned his conclusions. Nevertheless, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism remains an incredibly influential book, and it has introduced ideas that influenced later scholars. One especially influential idea that Weber articulated in The Protestant Ethic was  the concept of the iron cage. This theory suggests that an economic system  can become a restrictive force that can prevent  change and perpetuate its own failings. Because people are socialized within a particular economic system, Weber claims, they may be unable to imagine a different system. Since Weber’s time, this theory has been quite influential, especially in the Frankfurt School of critical theory. Sources and Additional Reading: Kolbert, Elizabeth. â€Å"Why Work?† The New Yorker (2004, Nov. 21). https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/11/29/why-workâ€Å"Protestant Ethic.† Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Essay on Sci 275 Human Population and Environment

Human Population and the Environment I am writing this paper to say that I will explain how the factors produced urbanization and changing the population size to the birth rate and the death rate as well as identify three benefits and three challenges of urbanization that provide the current or the historical event of each example of each of the benefits of the challenges. And explain to my reader whether I believe the benefits outweigh the challenges, or vice versa. There are four factors that produced urbanization and changing in population sizes on a global scale; the birth rate, the death rate, migration, changes in environment. Any changes which create a global scare normally pertain to birth and death†¦show more content†¦South Korea, the number of population about those who living in cities rose from 900,000 to ten millions between 1945 and 1990. Thus, unemployment rate decreased dramatically because the population growth. In addition, a lot of infrastructure is provided in cities. It leads directly increased the life quality. There are transportation, libraries, parks, zoos in close proximity which is not as many as the countryside. Noise, air pollution, light pollution are taking place because of population explosion. For instance, the destroying of the eco-system leads to the deaths of most of the wild creatures who lives around cities. Moreover, these pollutions also has serious impacts on human’s developments. That uti lize of the energy resources for the next generation that will be limited. That is to say, environmental problem is facing a baptism of life. In brief, although urbanization leads directly to increased amounts of pollution, it also provides greater opportunities for employment and access to localized infrastructure. Taking into account both sides of argument, living in cities is more suitable for those who want to have a hurried life. Housing problems have it challenges of Urbanization in which when the industrial age began their was options of families that would either buy a home on the outskirt of town where transportation would be a problem for families to get around, or there was the option to rent little rooms in boardinghouses. Later after familiesShow MoreRelatedSci 275 Couse Syllabus1980 Words   |  8 Pages275Course Design Guide SCI/275 Version 5 1 Syllabus Axia College/College of Natural Sciences SCI/275 Version 5 Environmental Science Copyright  © 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course focuses on the causes of, impacts of, and solutions to environmental issues. Students identify global environmental issues as well as develop and critique environmental action plans. Topics include ecosystems, energy, populations, resources, pollutionRead MoreDeclining Fish Stock: over-Fishing the Worlds Oceans Essay1204 Words   |  5 Pageslarge fish populations are disappearing at an alarming rate and extinction is a growing concern. An estimated 90% are already gone and the situation will continue to get worse if drastic measures are not taken (University of Phoenix, 2007). Even though the fishing industry will suffer, conservation methods should be developed and enforced soon because large fish populations are endangered and their habitats are being destroyed. Various netting techniques not only deplete fish populations, but alsoRead MoreEssay on Balancing Ecosystems972 Words   |  4 PagesBalancing Ecosystems Holly Regan SCI/275 August 10, 2014 Stacy Murphy Balancing Ecosystems Glimmerville City Council, It has been brought to my attention that the city of Glimmerville is now faced with the same invasive grass carp population issues as the city of Sparksville. The problem with the grass carp is once they have been introduced they kill off the native species of our local waters. The purpose for the introduction of the grass carp is to remove the overabundance of indigenousRead MoreEssay Impacts Of An Energy Plan945 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Impacts of an Energy Plan Juanita Stanberry SCI/275 Suzette Mackenzie March 26, 2015 My dearest great-great grand-children: The finding of this letter explaining the best option for a long-term energy sustainability plan is no accident, and if you have opened a time capsule as directed, this letter is one hundred years old and the year is two thousand and fifteen (2015). The nation’s current energy situation is in bad shape. We have nearly depleted the planets resources of fossil fuels thatRead MoreThe Determinant Factor Of Intrinsic And Extrinsic Aging Essay1378 Words   |  6 PagesMD,z and Gehan Hamza, MSc* Abstract: Aquaporin-3 (AQP3) is an aquaglyceroporin that plays a role in skin hydration, cell proliferation, and migration. The aim of this work was to investigate the expression of AQP3 in sun-exposed and sun-protected human skin from different age groups to understand the relationship between AQP3 and skin aging. Using standard immunohistochemical techniques, sunexposed and sun-protected skin biopsies were taken from 60 normal individuals. AQP3 was expressed in the basalRead MoreImpacts of an Energy Plan933 Words   |  4 PagesImpacts of an Energy Resource Plan Holly Regan SCI/275 September 14, 2014 Stacy Murphy Impacts of an Energy Resource Plan My dearest great-great grand-children: The finding of this letter explaining the best option for a long-term energy sustainability plan is no accident, and if you have opened a time capsule as directed, this letter is one hundred years old and the year is two-thousand and fourteen (2014). The nation’s current energy situation is in bad shape. We have nearly depletedRead MoreSci 275 Final Project1255 Words   |  6 PagesSci 275 Annajane Schnapp Final project: Mitigation Plan Energy Conservation/ Non-renewable energy sources Energy has easily become one of the most important necessities for our everyday lives. Without it we would simply not be able to have transportation or be able to gather any of our other resources that we depend on. If at anytime our energy supply ceases or no longer attainable the results may be horrific. However, it is quite easy to keep this from happening, It is crucial that our currentRead MoreAir Pollution and Global Warming - Summary1696 Words   |  7 PagesAir Pollution and Global Warming SCI 275 Cheryl Wilson September 30, 2012 Tori Robinson Air pollution causes global warming through the greenhouse effect, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The greenhouse effect occurs when greenhouse gases trap and heat energy from the sun and prevent it from escaping Earths atmosphere and entering space.† (EPA, 2012) Atmospheric pollutions are caused by gasses and solid particulates released into the atmosphere. The most hazard atmosphericRead MoreAir Pollution: Is Their a Solution Essay1794 Words   |  8 PagesAir Pollution Is Their Solution By Theresa Yeannakis SCI/275 Andra Johnson Sunday, April 18, 2010 When did we first experience air pollutions? Could it have been in the A.D era when cave people built small fires to survive? Or has it become an issue since the early 80`s. No one will be able to specifically say but what we can attest to is that since the A.D era we have contributed several times over to Air Pollution. We risk breathing in dangerous chemicals every time we breathe. What isRead MoreEssay on Quality Health Care7187 Words   |  29 Pagespatient care can be criticised both theoretically and methodologically. A larger, and arguably more rigorous, body of work exists on the performance of firms in the private sector, often conducted within the disciplines of organisational behaviour or human resource management. Studies in these traditions have focused on the effects of decentralisation, participation, innovative work practices, and â€Å"complementarities† on outcome variables such as job satisfaction and performance. The aim of this paper

Life of Fame Free Essays

Life of Fame Marilyn Monroe once said, â€Å"Hollywood is a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul† (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). Marilyn Monroe was an actress, singer, model and showgirl. She is highly regarded as one of the greatest sex symbols of the twentieth century (Lefkowitz 5). We will write a custom essay sample on Life of Fame or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"It’s better for the whole world to know you, even as a sex star, than never to be known at all† (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). She starred in a number of successful motion pictures during the 1950’s (Krohn 2). People loved Marilyn Monroe because she was a combination of beauty and brains. Although Marilyn Monroe was an influential figure, she lived a life of controversy filled with scandalous affairs and life style choices broadcasted for the world to hear and see. Marilyn Monroe had a very difficult life. She was born into the world on June 1st, 1926. She was born at California’s LA General Hospital. Marilyn’s birth name was Norma Jeane (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). Norma Jeane’s parents weren’t always there for her. She never knew her father, and her real mother was not loving. Gladys, Jeane’s mother, put Norma Jeane into a foster home at age six. She was an orphan for awhile. When she was in the foster home, she did not feel loved. She felt like a maid in the house she lived in. Living in the foster homes, she felt like she grew up without someone taking care of her (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†) At age nine, Norma Jeane was over weight for her age. She felt different and alone. Jeane often dreamed about being beautiful. In her eyes she thought everything would be easier (Krohn 25). Grace, her favorite foster mom, said, â€Å"One day you’ll be a beautiful woman- maybe even a movie star (22). Later on Jeane went to high school. She lived with Grace for 7 years. Norma Jeane loved sports. She tried to get into drama, but she thought it wasn’t her thing. She made many of friends and she grew into her body. It was the first time she felt beautiful. Every time she walked, she got the attention of all the boys (30-35). She realized then she liked the feeling of attention (25). Norma Jeane used her beauty to win love and attention of others (Lefkowitz 25). In 1933 Gladys came and took her away from Grace because she got a steady job at a movie studio (18). They bought a house in Hollywood (19). Their address was 6812 Arbol Drive. After a few months, their grandfather died (19). Gladys went into major depression and was not fit to take care of Jeane. She got put into a ward house, where she would spend the rest of her life (21). Again, Jeane went into a foster home. She thought that marriage was the only was out(41). She married three times, and she got divorced 3 times (43). Norma Jeane realized what she wanted to do in life. She got a job at studios and she decided to go into modeling. She changed her name to Marilyn Monroe. She picked the name Marilyn because she simply liked how it sounded with Monroe. Monroe was her grandmother’s last name (57). Marilyn Monroe had a very successful career that lead to her untimely death. On August 5th, 1962, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her California home at the age of 36. They ruled out the cause of her death as an overdose, since they found an empty bottle of sleeping pills by her bed. Marilyn Monroe was buried on August seventh (Krohn 113). Over the rainbow played at her funeral. (114). Even today Marilyn Monroe accomplishments in movies are still remembered by many people. Marilyn Monroe had many noteworthy achievements in her life. To begin, she is remembered for her beauty. Marilyn Monroe is still popular today (â€Å"The Lovely Marilyn Monroe†). A person once said about Marilyn Monroe â€Å"She will be making people laugh and cry for generations to come†(Krohn 114). Her major accomplishment is being the biggest and strongest sex symbol in the world (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). Her first movie was in 1946; her first part was an unimportant role as a Telephone Operator in the 1947 film ‘The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (Krohn 116). Her biggest movies were Some of Marilyn Munroe’s most famous movies were: Some Like It Hot, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Something’s Gotta Give, and How To Marry A Millionaire. She made more than 200 million dollars per-movie (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). Marilyn Monroe won three Golden Globe Awards: Best Motion Picture Actress in Comedy/Musical for Some Like It Hot (1960), World Film Favorite Female (1953), World Film Favorite Female (1962). She was also nominated for another Golden Globe for: Best Motion Picture Actress in Comedy/Musical Bus Stop (1956)(â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). She went into modeling. She was in she first issue of â€Å"PlayBoy†. Marilyn Monroe’s most famous picture was â€Å"The Dress†(â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). Marilyn Monroe is most famous for performance of â€Å"Happy Birthday† to former president, John F. Kennedy. In her remembrance, in 1995, the US Postal Service paid tribute to her honoring her with a thirty-two cent stamp with her picture on it (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). In addition to Monroe’s accomplishments, she set standards in the movie and modeling world of Hollywood. Marilyn Monroe made an impact on the world by becoming a role model for some people, despite all the gossip perpetuated by society. Marilyn Monroe overcame a difficult childhood to become of the world’s biggest sex symbols and beauty icons (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). She encouraged people to believe in themselves (â€Å"The Lovely Marilyn Monroe†) She was a voluptuous model. Today, she would not be a model. She was a size 12 in dresses (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). She once said â€Å" I don’t want to make money, I just want to be wonderful† (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). She just wanted to inspire people to follow their dreams because she followed her and she ended up where she wanted to be. She showed girls that you can be happy without a man, but like always said â€Å"You can’t live with them, you can’t live without them† (â€Å"The Lovely Marilyn Monroe†). She was a strong girl and did not take no for an answer. When they were looking for a blonde head girl, she dyed her hair. She tried her best to get what she wanted. Some people underestimate her for being a dumb blonde, but her favorite thing to do was read (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). She loved challenges and attention. She was the ultimate role model for young women and girls who admired her glamour and image. She knew she was not flawless. She had flaws and she sometimes did show them (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). Even though Marilyn Monroe left a positive impression on the world, her actions resulted in negative rumors about her. These rumors was not what people made her out to be. To some people, she was sleazy and a dumb blonde. Since people thought that, they also believe she had twelve abortions before the age of twenty-nine. Some may look down on her because of her appearance in the first issue of Hugh Hefner’s Playboy as the first Playmate (â€Å"The Lovely Marilyn Monroe†) She posed naked for Playboy. She was Playboys â€Å"Sweetheart† in December 1953. One of the most scandalous things people still talk about it is her performance to the president. It is known as the National Scandal. She performed for President, John F. Kennedy, on his forty-fifth birthday. On May 19th, 1962, she sang Happy Birthday at Madison Square Garden. It was a Democratic fundraiser. Later that night, a black and white picture was taken of them laughing and talking. The picture is worth fifty thousand dollars, it is the only picture of the together. After that night, some people thought that Marilyn Monroe and JFK had an affair. Later on, things got around that she was involved with Robert Kennedy, John Kennedy’s brother, around the time of her death. Sadly, no one will ever know if any of that was true because two months later Marilyn Monroe died, so did the Kennedy brothers. It has been fifty years and that rumor still goes on (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). Rumors are that Marilyn was being monitored by the Kennedy’s and the Mafia (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†). Since these thoughts got around, she was looked down on. She was supposed to be a role model for young girls all over the world. She stood for independence in women. In effect Marilyn Monroe set an inadequate example for young girls by having these affairs. Marilyn Monroe’s death had a devastating and permanent impact on the world; no one saw it coming. She was found dead in her California home. Her death was declared a suicide by an overdose of sleeping pills, but many signs show it was murder, making it impossible for a suicide (Berman 132-133). Marilyn Monroe was a sweet, innocent, vibrant young woman who got caught up in the glamour of show business. She took miserable situations and made a brilliant career out of herself. Marilyn Monroe’s troubled life and apparent suicide, along with her failed relationships with the very high profile men in her life, aroused sympathy and interest amongst her fans. This helped Marilyn Monroe’s career as a legendary figure (â€Å"Marilyn Monroe†) Marilyn Monroe joined The Walk of Fame on February 9, 1960. Her star is placed at 6774 Hollywood Boulevard. Marilyn Monroe left a mark on the world that can never be changed. She set the standards for modeling and acting that no one can ever even attempt to meet (â€Å"The Lovely Marilyn Monroe†). Some of her rumored actions were forgivable, but the Playboy incident smirched her reputation. She was supposed to be a role model for young children, yet she modeled naked for everyone to see. This inappropriate action led her to a lowered self-image, which impacted negatively in society; however, she will still live on through her legacy in our hearts. How to cite Life of Fame, Essays

Describe Frankenstein Essay Example For Students

Describe Frankenstein Essay Frankenstein realises that his experiment has failed and that the time and effort he had put in was all for nothing. An example of this is Now that I had finished the beauty of the dream vanished and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. These words show us in a powerful way how Frankenstein feels, and how he is extremely disappointed with the result of his toils and struggle with creating the perfect being. When the words horror and disgust are used they provoke us into believing just how anguished Frankenstein is and how much he despises the experiment. Shelley also makes the monsters awakening seem very dramatic by using words like catastrophe. This shows Frankensteins shock and horror of the creature he had created and hoped would be beautiful, but turned out to be the opposite of what he wanted. This word shows is very powerful and tells us how everything has fallen apart for Frankenstein, including the one thing that was keeping him alive the experiment. After the monster comes to life, Frankenstein does not take responsibility for its creation, and tries to lose all contact with the monster to do so. For instance endeavouring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness shows us this, and also makes the reader feel more involved with the story, as they can all have their own opinions on how Frankenstein handles the events. The world forgetfulness shows us the passion with which Frankenstein hates the monster, and wishes he had never started his research. Another way that Mary Shelley makes chapter five seem extremely dramatic is by showing us how distraught Frankenstein is by what happened with the monster, and how he had failed at his lifes ambition. We are also shown how Frankenstein has disturbing nightmares such as this I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms This is an extremely dramatic image and tells us just how disturbed Frankenstein has become, and also tells us of his greatest fear death itself. Shelley also uses a list of three verbs to describe Frankensteins reaction to the monsters reappearance, walking up and down in the greatest agitation, listening attentively, catching and fearing each sound. This shows that Frankenstein is extremely distressed by the monster, and is also very effective at showing us Frankensteins feelings and agitation in coming face to face with the monster in a way that entices the reader into the story and almost makes the reader seem apprehensive of the monster.