The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, originally a series of essays from the early 1900s, explores the relationship between Protestantism and the development of modern capitalism. First published in English in 1930, this influential work challenges secular Marxist views by arguing that the Reformation reshaped attitudes towards work and its ethical justification. The audiobook features a helpful introduction by Professor R. H. Tawney and is structured into two parts: the historical context of capitalism's spirit and an examination of various Protestant sects, particularly Calvinism and Methodism, ultimately linking asceticism with capitalist motivations.