Three Puritans on Prosperity
1934; The MIT Press; Volume: 7; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/359674
ISSN1937-2213
Autores Tópico(s)American Constitutional Law and Politics
ResumoINCE the German economist, Max Weber, first called serious attention to the relationship of Protestantism and capitalism, various scholars have become intrigued with the idea.1 Some have taken issue with Weber on minor points, but most have accepted his general conclusions. R. H. Tawney, in particular, has elaborated the thesis, and integrated it with the history of the Reformation.2 Ernst Troeltsch has shown its development in sectarian ethics.3 Yet so far, no one has sought to demonstrate the forms in which this relationship has manifested itself in American history. For three centuries, Americans have been taught to admire material success: the frontier, perhaps, provided the economic basis for the lesson. The growing sense of nationalism, the democratic levelling of social barriers, immense natural resources have combined to make us a nation of rugged individualists, intent upon getting rich. In addition, we have been harangued, severally and individually, on the virtue of making money by a race of success-prophets indigenous
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