Karl Emil Maximillian “Max” Weber was a profound political economist whose ideas had a major influence on the creation of social theory and sociology. He focused on the research of an individual’s purpose and one’s meaning of action associated with the rise of capitalism in the world. Weber developed a new way of thought in reference to sociology. His new way of thinking connected sociology with the religion present within the society. Weber stressed this concept in his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, where he concentrated on ascetic Protestantism in association with the rise of capitalism in Europe. Weber recorded on the Puritan’s attitude towards work and labor in comparison with that of the medieval Catholic Church.
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He presented the Puritan’s religious beliefs in relation to their daily contacts. For one to fully grasp their ideology of asceticism, Weber looked deeply at the writings of ministers, in particular Richard Baxter. He understood that Richard Baxter wrote up on the Puritan’s ethics as a favorable construct of their civil character, “Richard Baxter stands out above many other writers on Puritan ethics, both because of his eminently practical and realistic attitude, and, at the same time, because of the universal recognition accorded to his works, which have gone through many new editions and translations” (Weber, 1905). Weber in this chapter treated ascetic Puritanism as a single whole, noticing Baxter’s seeing Puritan’s wealth as a hazardous temptation, “Wealth as such is a great danger; its temptations never end and its pursuit is not only senseless as compared with the dominating importance of the Kingdom of God, but it is morally suspect.” (Weber, 1905). As an effort to show the danger behind wealth in the religious aspect, he analyzes Baxter’s view of Puritan ideas of labor. The upmost moral difficulty was the temptation of relaxation and idleness. The Puritans believed this was a disturbance of the quest towards
He presented the Puritan’s religious beliefs in relation to their daily contacts. For one to fully grasp their ideology of asceticism, Weber looked deeply at the writings of ministers, in particular Richard Baxter. He understood that Richard Baxter wrote up on the Puritan’s ethics as a favorable construct of their civil character, “Richard Baxter stands out above many other writers on Puritan ethics, both because of his eminently practical and realistic attitude, and, at the same time, because of the universal recognition accorded to his works, which have gone through many new editions and translations” (Weber, 1905). Weber in this chapter treated ascetic Puritanism as a single whole, noticing Baxter’s seeing Puritan’s wealth as a hazardous temptation, “Wealth as such is a great danger; its temptations never end and its pursuit is not only senseless as compared with the dominating importance of the Kingdom of God, but it is morally suspect.” (Weber, 1905). As an effort to show the danger behind wealth in the religious aspect, he analyzes Baxter’s view of Puritan ideas of labor. The upmost moral difficulty was the temptation of relaxation and idleness. The Puritans believed this was a disturbance of the quest towards