Aspects of the Rise of Economic Individualism (Classic Reprint): A Criticism of Max Weber and His School - Softcover
Synopsis
How religious ideas fueled the rise of modern markets and how they sometimes stood in the way. This book surveys the interplay between theology, law, and money in Europe from the Reformation onward.
Drawing on passages about Calvinism, Catholic teaching, Jesuit casuistry, and brewing economic change, the work examines how beliefs about work, calling, and the morality of trade shaped money, debt, and commerce. It argues that economic individualism emerged in part from practical business needs and worldliness within religious communities, while also noting direct religious controls that sometimes slowed progress.
- Trace how the doctrine of the “calling” and beliefs about wealth influenced early capitalist behavior.
- Compare commercial ethics and monetary practices across Catholic and Protestant contexts.
- Explore the rise of capital markets, usury debates, and the role of trade companies in shaping economies.
- See how legal, educational, and monastic traditions affected entrepreneurship and risk-taking.
Ideal for readers of economic history, religious studies, and the social forces behind capitalism.
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