The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Max Weber (Translated by Stephen
Kalberg) Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing Company. 2002. 266 pages. $24.95
A couple of years ago I had to re-read Plato’s Republic. I was amazed by the striking
resemblance between the social problems addressed by Plato and the problems of
contemporary societies. I had similar experience after reading the new translation of The
Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (PE) by Stephen Kalberg, an internationally
acclaimed Weberian scholar. Although capitalism and the discursive formation that has
laid the foundation for its existence has changed very much, reading this classical work
of Weber reminds one the nature and operations of capitalism that we take for granted.
Indeed it does not require deep reflection to see the relevance of Weber’s discussion to
our world, although this is not the only and most important area where the enduring
legacy of PE lies. Due credit is in this regard to Kalberg who made my reading pleasant
and stimulate my reflection over some issues. I was pleased by his translation for a
number of reasons. To begin with, the new translation strikes a balance between
maintaining substance and readership. Look at the following two quotes, for instance:
“A glance at the occupational statistics of any country of mixed religious
composition brings to light with remarkable frequency [,] a situation which has
several times provoked discussion in the Catholic press and literature, and in
Catholic congresses in Germany, namely the fact that business leaders and owners
of capital, as well as the higher grades of skilled labor, and even more the higher
technically and commercially trained personnel of modern enterprises, are
overwhelmingly Protestant” (p. 3).
“A glance at the occupational statistics for any country in which several religions
coexist is revealing. They indicate that people who own capital, employers, more
highly educated skilled workers, and more highly trained technical or business
personnel in modern companies tend to be, with striking frequency,
overwhelmingly Protestant” (Italics in the original, p. 3).
Certainly, the first quote is from Talcott Parsons’ 1930 translation. Here I am by no
means downplaying Parsons’ contribution. Parsons will always be remembered, among
other things, for making PE accessible to the English reader. Perhaps, Kalberg himself is
the one who has gained the most out of the 1930 translation. However, the two works
clearly show that the translation that one offers is partly a reflection of one’s style of
writing. Not only is Parsons’ translation of PE replete with long sentences, but he
assumes that the reader is well versed in Latin as well. It seems that the translation was
not intended for the uninitiated. Kalberg, on the other hand, has adopted a different
approach. He has carried out the job having the modern (or the postmodern, if you wish)
reader in mind. In this sense, he has successfully overcome the daunting task of
balancing between keeping Weber’s message intact while at the same time providing a
reader friendly translation.
A translation of this kind encourages students to read original works. For those
instructors, such as myself, who insist that students need to be exposed to original works,
Kalberg’s translation is an extremely welcome addition. Since these works are often
dense, reader friendly translations motivate students not to fall for second-rate rendition
of original works, which often result in the absence of understanding why great
sociologists have attained the status of an important intellectual figure. In this regard,
one of the virtues of reading PE is to remind one the enormous energy that Weber has
invested in the process of carrying out his investigation. One needs only to glance at the
Notes for PE (90 pages long, pp.165-255), in order to appreciate the depth of Weber’s
study. First-rate translations, such as Kalberg’s, also help readers to make their
judgments on the merits/demerits of interpretations of original works. For instance, the
misunderstanding that prevails surrounding the “embellished” role that Weber has
conferred to religious ideas in his analysis of the origin of capitalism partly emanates
from the failure to check his original work (Cf., for instance, p. 125 of PE where Weber
unequivocally states that he is not in favor of a one-sided analysis of capitalism).
In addition to the friendly nature of the translation, the reader is motivated to study
Weber’s book partly because of the informative and well-written Introduction that
Kalberg has provided. The Introduction does give pertinent information without
inhibiting the reader from reading the whole book. In it, Kalberg has carried out three
important tasks. First, he brings to the attention of the reader what the central research
problem of Weber’s analysis is (pp. xiii-xvii). Kalberg notes that Weber is specifically
interested in the relationship between cultural values and the development of capitalism,
a relationship that, at first blush, seems to be remotely related. Secondly, the main
perspectives in Weber’s time regarding the origin of capitalism are pointed out (pp. xxixxv). Included in the discussion are an evolutionary view of progress, the materialist
interpretation of history, and other important approaches that have addressed Weber’s
concern. Finally, Kalberg provides a synopsis in which the central arguments of the book
are highlighted (pp. xxviii-xlvii). Here in two separate sections he discusses Weber’s
analysis of the origins of capitalism and the transition from the Protestant ethic to the
spirit of capitalism. By and large, the Introduction resembles a good preview for a movie
that draws attention to the main theme but leaves you with I-should-find-the-rest-of-thestory-for-myself state of mind.
What is more, Kalberg offers a number of “propaedeutic aids” that ease the reading.
Important Latin expressions are rendered into English (for example, “Praecepta [that
which is commanded] and consilia [that which is advised]” (p. 40); “Externa subsidia
[external supplements] (p. 60)”; “certitudo salutis [certainty of salvation] (p. 65); “homo
mercator vix aut numquam potest Deo placere [the merchant may conduct himself
without sin but cannot be pleasing to God]” (p. 33).) The names of people who, to most
of us today, are obscure figures are clarified (for example, “[the Quaker Robert] Barklay
[1648-1686]” (p. 96). The most important thing that readers (probably under graduate
students more than any one) would appreciate most about the new translation is the fact
that Kalberg has provided Glossary of terms (pp. lxxvii-lxxxi). The glossary includes
key concepts in Weber’s analysis (such as frame of mind [Gesinnung] and status naturae
[natural status]) and historical terms (such as Westminster Confession) that are not found
in the modern English language. These glossary terms are bold-marked in the text.
One of the positive marks of the new translation is that it includes two pieces by Max
Weber written after PE: “The Protestant Sects and Spirit of Capitalism” ([Sects] pp. 127147 [translated by Hans H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills]) and “Prefatory Remarks’ to
Collected Essays in the Sociology of Religion” (pp. 149-164). Based on his visit to the
United States, in Sects Weber discusses the nature of Puritanism in the United States 250
years after its existence. The discussion in the Prefatory Remarks is different. They
provide a general introduction to Weber’s sociology of religion. The prefatory remarks
are interesting for two reasons. First, they provide an introduction regarding the
distinctive features of “modern capitalism” in contrast to the “traditional capitalism” of
the non-western or ancient world. Secondly, and most importantly, they compliment
Weber’s warning that his analysis should not be read as a “one-sided spiritual analysis of
the causes of culture and history” (p. 125). These remarks, as Kalberg aptly notes, save
the investigator from falling into the trap of a “unilinear manner of utilizing Weber” (p.
lix) and that the examination of the role of “external forces” in the process of economic
transformation is equally justifiable.
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism deserves to be read and even re-read by
any one who perceives or interprets social processes and phenomena utilizing
sociological imagination. More specifically, however, the book could be geared to
graduate or undergraduate classes, including Sociological Theory, Social Change,
Sociology of Religion, Sociology of Knowledge, and Historical Sociology. For obvious
reasons Weber’s book occupies an important place in the history of sociology. One of
the most remarkable features of PE is that it is one of those pieces that act as a link
between classical and contemporary theories. In the social change class, PE could be
used to show how cultural values (religion most importantly) play a significant role in the
emergence of a new socio-economic system. For the same and other apparent rationale,
PE is extremely relevant for the sociology of religion class. Weber’s underlying premise
that frame of minds are historically embedded occupies an important place in the
sociology of knowledge. Finally, the strength of using PE for historical sociology class
needs no elaborate justification. In PE, we find the finest demonstration of Weber’s
method of ideal type, a heuristic device wherein historical data are both used and
interpreted in the causal analysis of specific social phenomena.
In general, Kalberg has done an outstanding job. However, I would suggest the
following two changes that, I believe, might further strengthen the new translation. The
first one has to do with a discussion of contemporary applications and criticisms. One of
the enduring legacies of PE is that it has motivated criticism and laid the foundation for
similar studies. Guenter Lewy’s Religion and Revolution (1974, New York: Oxford
University Press) is a case in point. A discussion of this development gives the reader a
glimpse of the impact of Weber’s work. Second, I would put the Prefatory Remarks at
the beginning of the book since here Weber delineates the distinctive features of modern
capitalism. The reader will from the very outset be aware of the type of capitalism that
Weber is concerned with in his analysis.