Naccording to what is probably Max Weber’s most famous thesis, it was the economic ethics of some Protestant sects that gave modern capitalism its pioneers. Weber explains this using the classic virtues of medium-sized entrepreneurs: diligence; Discipline; equating unrequited generosity with wasting money; Willingness to forego present pleasures for future gain. The first modern entrepreneurs could only be taught all these unreasonable demands on their own way of life under religious auspices. They should not strive for economic success for its own sake, but as a sign of their own state of grace. An attitude of pervasive sacrifice should help them allay fears of a God whose goodwill could no longer be compelled by isolated feats. In this way, a willingness to make sacrifices that would once have led to a monastery could serve worldly goals.
A strong argument in favor of this thesis lies in the improbability of a situation-independent work motivation. The contemporaries of the early merchants worked in order to live and not the other way around, and even in Weber’s own time this almost natural attitude towards work was by no means extinct. Weber explains this with the example of those industrial workers who worked less after their piecework wages had been increased in order to encourage them to work more. So the idea of dedicating your life to your work had to come up first.
