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.Similarideas had originally been prevalent among the BaptistsNow naturally the whole ascetic literature of almost all denominations is saturated withthe idea that faithful labour, even at low wages, on the part of those whom , life offers noother opportunities, is highly pleasing to God.In this respect Protestant Asceticism addedin itself nothing new.But it not only deepened this idea most powerfully, it also createdthe force which was alone decisive for its effectiveness: the psychological sanction of itthrough the conception of this labour as a calling, as the best, often in the last analysisthe only means of attaining certainty of grace.And on the other hand it legalized theexploitation of this specific willingness to work, in that it also interpreted the employer'sbusiness activity as a calling.It is obvious how powerfully the exclusive search for theKingdom of God only through the fulfilment of duty in the calling, and the strictasceticism which Church discipline naturally imposed, especially on the propertylessclasses, was bound to affect the productivity of labour in the capitalistic sense of theword.The treatment of labour as a calling became as characteristic of the modern workerGet any book for free on: www.Abika.com PROTESTANTISM AND THE SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM67as the corresponding attitude toward acquisition of the business man.It was a perceptionof this situation, new at his time, which caused so able an observer as Sir William Pettyto attribute the economic power of Holland in the seventeenth century to the fact that thevery numerous dissenters in that country (Calvinists and Baptists) "are for the most partthinking, sober men, and such as believe that Labour and Industry is their duty towardsGod".Calvinism opposed organic social organization in the fiscal-monopolistic form which itassumed in Anglican-ism under the Stuarts, especially in the conceptions of Laud, thisalliance of Church and State with the monopolists on the basis of a Christian , socialethical foundation.Its leaders were universally among the most passionate opponents ofthis type of politically privileged commercial, putting-out, and colonial capitalism.Overagainst it they placed the individual-istic motives of rational legal acquisition by virtue ofone's own ability and initiative.And, while the politically privileged monopoly industriesin England all disappeared in short order, this attitude played a large and decisive part inthe development of the industries which grew up in spite of and against the authority ofthe State.The Puritans (Prynne, Parker) repudiated all connection with the large-scalecapitalistic courtiers and projectors as an ethically suspicious class.On the other hand,they took pride in their own superior middle-class business morality, which formed thetrue reason for the persecutions to which they were subjected on the part of those circles.Defoe proposed to win the battle against dissent by boycotting bank credit andwithdrawing deposits.The difference of the two types of capitalistic attitude went to avery large extent hand in hand with religious differences.The opponents of theNonconformists, even in the eighteenth century, again and again ridiculed them forpersonifying the spirit of shopkeepers, and for having, ruined the ideals of old England.Here also lay the difference of the Puritan economic ethic from the Jewish; andcontemporaries (Prynne) knew well that the former and not the latter was the bourgeoiscapital-istic ethic.One of the fundamental elements of the spirit of modem capitalism, and not only of thatbut of all modern culture: rational conduct on the basis of the idea of the calling, wasborn--that is what this dis-cussion has sought to demonstrate-from the spirit of Christianasceticism.One has only to re-read the passage from Franklin, quoted at the beginning ofthis essay, in order to see that the essential elements of the attitude which was there calledthe spirit of capitalism are the same as what we have just shown to be the content of thePuritan worldly asceticism, only without the religious basis, which by Franklin's time baddied away.The idea that modern labour has an : ascetic character is of course not new.Limitation to specialized work, with a renunciation of the Faustian universality of manwhich it involves, is a condition of any valuable work in the modern world; hence deedsand renunciation inevitably condition each other to-day [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Similarideas had originally been prevalent among the BaptistsNow naturally the whole ascetic literature of almost all denominations is saturated withthe idea that faithful labour, even at low wages, on the part of those whom , life offers noother opportunities, is highly pleasing to God.In this respect Protestant Asceticism addedin itself nothing new.But it not only deepened this idea most powerfully, it also createdthe force which was alone decisive for its effectiveness: the psychological sanction of itthrough the conception of this labour as a calling, as the best, often in the last analysisthe only means of attaining certainty of grace.And on the other hand it legalized theexploitation of this specific willingness to work, in that it also interpreted the employer'sbusiness activity as a calling.It is obvious how powerfully the exclusive search for theKingdom of God only through the fulfilment of duty in the calling, and the strictasceticism which Church discipline naturally imposed, especially on the propertylessclasses, was bound to affect the productivity of labour in the capitalistic sense of theword.The treatment of labour as a calling became as characteristic of the modern workerGet any book for free on: www.Abika.com PROTESTANTISM AND THE SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM67as the corresponding attitude toward acquisition of the business man.It was a perceptionof this situation, new at his time, which caused so able an observer as Sir William Pettyto attribute the economic power of Holland in the seventeenth century to the fact that thevery numerous dissenters in that country (Calvinists and Baptists) "are for the most partthinking, sober men, and such as believe that Labour and Industry is their duty towardsGod".Calvinism opposed organic social organization in the fiscal-monopolistic form which itassumed in Anglican-ism under the Stuarts, especially in the conceptions of Laud, thisalliance of Church and State with the monopolists on the basis of a Christian , socialethical foundation.Its leaders were universally among the most passionate opponents ofthis type of politically privileged commercial, putting-out, and colonial capitalism.Overagainst it they placed the individual-istic motives of rational legal acquisition by virtue ofone's own ability and initiative.And, while the politically privileged monopoly industriesin England all disappeared in short order, this attitude played a large and decisive part inthe development of the industries which grew up in spite of and against the authority ofthe State.The Puritans (Prynne, Parker) repudiated all connection with the large-scalecapitalistic courtiers and projectors as an ethically suspicious class.On the other hand,they took pride in their own superior middle-class business morality, which formed thetrue reason for the persecutions to which they were subjected on the part of those circles.Defoe proposed to win the battle against dissent by boycotting bank credit andwithdrawing deposits.The difference of the two types of capitalistic attitude went to avery large extent hand in hand with religious differences.The opponents of theNonconformists, even in the eighteenth century, again and again ridiculed them forpersonifying the spirit of shopkeepers, and for having, ruined the ideals of old England.Here also lay the difference of the Puritan economic ethic from the Jewish; andcontemporaries (Prynne) knew well that the former and not the latter was the bourgeoiscapital-istic ethic.One of the fundamental elements of the spirit of modem capitalism, and not only of thatbut of all modern culture: rational conduct on the basis of the idea of the calling, wasborn--that is what this dis-cussion has sought to demonstrate-from the spirit of Christianasceticism.One has only to re-read the passage from Franklin, quoted at the beginning ofthis essay, in order to see that the essential elements of the attitude which was there calledthe spirit of capitalism are the same as what we have just shown to be the content of thePuritan worldly asceticism, only without the religious basis, which by Franklin's time baddied away.The idea that modern labour has an : ascetic character is of course not new.Limitation to specialized work, with a renunciation of the Faustian universality of manwhich it involves, is a condition of any valuable work in the modern world; hence deedsand renunciation inevitably condition each other to-day [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]