å Monday, September 12th, 2016

In Chapter two “The Spirit of Capitalism”, by Weber, he explains to the connection between the spirit of capitalism and rationalism, and he uses Benjamin Franklin’s quote to explain capitalism. He says, “time is money and credit is money”. He believes that a man should be punctual with everything that he does. Franklin says, “Honesty is useful because it assures credit, punctuality” (pg.17) He believes people would benefit from doing things on time and that anything outside of it would be a waste. He thinks it would take the people to a path of “righteousness” and it encourages them to work together and inspire each other; Its good for the society. As long a a man earns money and does it the right way everyone would benefit from it. Weber on the other hand says that a capitalist economy depends of the workers and their productivity, there has to be a increase int he work. People are selfish and greedy, capitalism is a business about making money, we exchange work for money.  Its like now we get paid and we are forced to work because we cant make out own products.

Franklin believes in the “spirit of capitalism” and he thinks its the right way to go because it balances everything. I agree with Franklin’s statement, but then again I don’t.”Time is money” applies to a capitalist society, because its such a crucial thing for the market. I think sometimes people are stuck with jobs they hate, the world is just all about money. Anything can be expressed in time, the more hours you work the more you earn, right?  I can give up my time for money but money wont buy me any time back. I am still slightly unsure of what weber means by rationalism, but the “spirit of capitalism, is good for the economy, its had an impact on everyone.

The use of the quote from Benjamin Franklin that gives examples of what Weber describes as the Spirit of Capitalism is very detailed. The excerpt seems to be less about work ethic and more about the “spirit” of how capitalism is. For example, making sure your debt is paid on time. “ The most trifling actions that affect a man’s credit are to be regarded. The sound of your hammer at five in the morning, or eight at night, heard by a creditor, makes him easy six months longer; but if he sees you at a billiard-table, or hears your voice at a tavern, when you should be at work, he sends for his money the next day; demands it, before he can receive it, in a lump.” (Weber pg15) This best describes a western modern version of capitalism. Where you should not feel like you own everything you have because you worked for it. The creditor or your boss will always have the upper hand and is in some way controlling everything you do and truly owns everything you have. Franklin is reassuring in his words by encouraging honesty and responsibility.

When Weber describes rationalism, he describes that material things and greed drive men. Particularly in the west, the capitalistic rationalism would not be as powerful if not for both the rationalism and the “spirit” of capitalism. “For without the rational capitalistic organization of labour, all this, so far as it was possible at all, would have nothing like the same significance, above all for social structure and all the specific problems of the modern Occident connected with it.” (Weber pg. xxxvi). Social Status and the common separation of economic class is a large contribution to the connection of capitalism in the west.

Weber connects both forms of capitalism to the ideas that in the western culture, there has been more or less of an upper hand created in order to keep the power. With the ideas that religious influences could influence work ethic, Weber rejects that the modern western capitalism has any of these religious ethics involved. The spirit of capitalism that has been created encourages a different attitude toward capitalism. It makes a man more responsible. It reminds me of the power of the credit score. If you do not owe, you do not own. Your credit score follows you and can determine if your American dream of owning a house and a car will be fulfilled or not.

Weber, M. (2001). The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. London: Routledge.

Hello my name is Mariela Eduardo . I am currently working in the Child care business , I am the owner and provider of First Bloom Group Family Day Care . We have 6 locations in the Bronx , two under First Bloom Day Care name and 4 under other names.

My grandparents were and are hard workers . My grandparents on my father side and my grandfather are and were farmers. My grandmother on my mother side was the towns sewer , she was the first to be able to alter pants and clothing .

My parents have demonstrated to me what hard work can lead to and how it looks like. My father was a chef at an Italian restaurant. My mom was a supermarket owner . She owned Luisa Mini Market from 1993-2012 , when she sold/lost her business due to 9/11 , she returned to do what she did before which was home attend/ home health aide. She is currently a Nanny to autistic child.

My ancestry has made me a more appreciative of my heritage and the knowledge to know hard work is necessary life. They showed me that the more knowledge you had of your profession the more you will be paid for, and the less you will have to work and live life. This has pushed me to work hard and do what I knew the best, child care and business, learn the most I can and work hard to success. Have enough to live life and leave meaning behind it.

Work can be one of three things for me. First, it can be a means of survival and hate or complaisant life. In this scenario you only make enough to pay bills and, if you cut back and save enough, you can take a budget vacation which you hate. OR second, it can be a passion where I work hard but I love what I do and anything that it permits me to do is great by me. This is why I pointed myself to a career I love already doing and brought me a lot of happiness. This brought me to happiness with everything it came with, Long hours, underpaid at time and life changing scares and still look forward to the next day at work.

I agree with you when you say Human Capital or Knowledge capital should be considered for Central Education plan . I just also understand that it has a lot of work to be done to it for it to be equal for everyone. It discriminates and underfunded some schools while others are over funded . Some neighborhood have better chance for student succeeding and other don’t just because of income, but all these are problems I consider to be economic and discrimination, if all given the same opportunity of education we will be all in better neighborhoods.

In the second chapter of Weber’s book “The Spirit of Capitalism”, he uses Benjamin Franklin’s quote to set the tone of his argument and define capitalism. In the quote, capitalism is basically explained in various contexts; time is money, credit is money, money can beget money, money is earned, spent and can grow. Interestingly enough, Weber states that Franklin believed these ideals represent the spirit of capitalism and tied into the virtues of man. He goes to explain that these virtues of man such as honesty, punctuality, moral responsibility, can earn money and credit. Through his virtue and attitude, man can gain capital and increase his way into the world. Weber basically states that Franklin believed that man’s attitude and virtue was the base of capitalism and his ability to earn money.

The idea of greed and want for material things is also one of man’s virtues, according to Weber. In the true spirit of capitalism, Weber explains that man is dominated by the idea of making money and is not satisfied with the simplicity of Franklin’s version of capitalism. He goes on to mention that man’s need for economic acquisition becomes one of the major purposes of his life; not just mere virtue. In other words, man’s earning power and gain of material possessions is tied into their professional activity by any means. The way I am to understand capitalism through this reading is the way it exists today. Survival of the fittest through the power of earning capability; not through virtue or religion as in our previous readings.

When I think of this reading, it reminds me of the discussion in our last class. The question that was proposed for discussion was “If you had to choose between Happiness or Wealth, which would you choose?” In the context of this article, it seems as if the clear answer to the question would be wealth. It seems that the ultimate prize to the spirit of capitalism is individual monetary wealth. It can be argued that the access to anything in life (even virtue) would happen through the access of wealth. Is this what Weber meant when he included the idea of rationalism? In my perspective, I believe he did. I basically believe Weber stated that the world has convinced itself that wealth is the means to access the best quality life. Well, in my humble opinion, I guess this is why we may be so unhappy.

In The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Max Weber Weber coated lines written by Benjamin Franklin to describe the spirit of capitalism  where he stated :

“Remember, that time is money. He that can earn ten shillings

a day by his labour, and goes abroad, or sits idle, one-half of

that day, though he spends but sixpence during his diversion or

idleness, ought not to reckon that the only expense; he has

really spent, or rather thrown away, five shillings besides” (weber14).

Franklin was saying that our time equaled money and a person can either work for their money or go idle and spend the little that they have. But money can disappear as easy as it’s received. Plus, from I am drawing I think he believes that a man who works hard for their money would consider the and be more mindful of how he spends that money compared to one that did not work for it.

He connected rationalism and the spirit of capitalism by looking at capitalism as the pursuit of renewable profit. Everything is done in terms of balances, the amount of money gained versus how much is spent. He also quoted franklin on how money equals credit and how the government gets the interest.  “Remember, that credit is money. If a man lets his money lie in my hands after it is due, he gives me the interest, or so much as I can make of it during that time. This amounts to a considerable sum where a man has good and large credit and makes good use of it”. Here he talks about business and loans and if you borrow and don’t pay on time they make a profit. This is where they rob poor people  who worked hard for their money. It’s all a money making business where the poor suffers.

Weber believes that Franklin’s idea is not about making an honest living and finding their way in the world and the work ethic is more of a forgetful duty. And it’s more about profit and greed.  He believed  Benjamin Franklin was irrational and that making money was just a means of supplying material needs. And the drive to earn more and more money is a means to and end because you spend all your time at work and not enjoying life.  He thought that capitalism was more than money and wealth to gain economic status.

Weber views this increasing philosophy of materialism as an end in itself. Modern capitalism exudes this sense of duty to prosper. In order for Weber to best illustrate his method, he utilizes Benjamin Franklin theories and famous quote “time is money…” Franklin exemplifies the spirit of capitalism. His quote expresses different forms of money—Time is money, Credit is money, and money has the ability to produce more money. Consistently paying your bills on time will encourage a form of confidence and trust. Franklin’s ethical principles relate to the usefulness in the hopes of promoting profits.

The rational ethics of capitalism does not grasp this self-indulgent lifestyle; Franklin embodies. During the middle Ages, Franklin’s methods would have been seen as, nothing more than greed. This attitude towards money is the primary reason for capitalism. It expresses a similar feeling associated with religion.  The desirable quality of earning money mirrors the competence of a higher calling.  In my opinion, capitalism acts as another form of Darwinism.

Weber was significantly influenced by Franklin’s concept of capitalism and its effects on society. The money earned should be reinvested into capital.  His views of money were more rational. Benjamin Franklin followed the path of science, which all knowledge inspires from experiences.