20. The spirit of capitalism

At the end of the Middle Ages in Europe, in its purest form, a new type of socio-economic relations was born - capitalism.

In the XNUMXth century began to use the word "capitalist" - the owner of money capital. The term "capitalism" first entered the scientific lexicon in the second half of the XNUMXth century. Some scholars consider the emergence of a market of goods, labor and capital free from restrictions as the main properties of capitalism. Others consider its main feature to be a high degree of rationality, which is manifested both in the organization of production and in relation to labor and makes it possible to subordinate economic life to the norms of efficiency and profitability.

There are several conditions for the emergence of capitalism in Western Europe:

1) the influence of the Greco-Roman world with a high level of development of commodity-money relations and an orientation towards an active creative personality;

2) urban communal movements (in the city that won self-government, a stratum of people was formed with free capital, which gave birth to the future bourgeoisie);

3) registration of active estates defending their rights.

The position of the church in relation to economic issues and commerce was also important. Since the XNUMXth century it softens its doctrines: condemning usury, the church did not condemn bills, investments. This led to the fact that after the Reformation trade began to be considered a very worthy occupation.

In "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" M. Weber reveals the influence of religion on the economy. The Protestant Church played a certain role in shaping the system of capitalist entrepreneurship in the West. Weber speaks of "the undoubted predominance of Protestants among the owners of capital and entrepreneurs", among the "higher skilled strata of the workers", and "above all, among the highest technical and commercial personnel of modern enterprises."

According to Weber, the ascetic features of religious denominations (as opposed to mystical ones) contributed to the formation of appropriate incentives and norms of behavior that make up "spirit of capitalism". By the “spirit of capitalism” we do not mean an abstract concept, but “a complex of connections that exist in historical reality” and represent one whole. This is not a pursuit of profit at all costs, but purposeful activity, professional duty, adherence to certain standards of economic ethics.

The Protestant religion, primarily Calvinism, contributed to the development of business acumen and entrepreneurial activity. It helped to form thrift, prudence, enterprise, resourcefulness, readiness for risk.

It was from among the Protestants, first of all, that the entrepreneurial class - owners and organizers of production. In Europe, and not in India or China, the ethical norms of religion and the norms of economic behavior to some extent coincided. As a result, a "rationalist" form of capitalism took shape and spread.

The cause-and-effect relationships between the norms of religious ethics and the “capitalist spirit” are quite complex and contradictory. The “social ethics” of capitalist culture is formed and established through economic selection. The ideologists of the bourgeoisie created their ideal, starting from the aristocratic ideal, born in the Middle Ages, because the bourgeoisie claimed to be the new elite in society. However, now the right to elitism was given not by noble origin, but by personal merit. The “gentleman merchant” who himself has achieved wealth, knowledge, and the ability to behave in society is worthy of true respect.

Authors: Zilbertova T.N., Takhtomysova D.A.

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