å Saturday, October 29th, 2016

In the Reading “The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism” By Max weber describe what he thinks about Benjamin Franklin Spirit of Capitalism subject.

Rationalism – replacement of traditions, values, and emotions as motivators for behavior in society with rational, calculated ones

Benjamin Franklin Illustrates the spirit of Capitalism by saying men have to be honest and have a business attitude. Your time is valuable, the trust and respect you show with the community gives you credit which is valuable and this personality can have you creating more money. This individual with these particular traits are seen as success which is the ultimate goal creating a profit, a capitalist, creating the Spirit of capitalism. Individuals with this personality enjoy living comfortable lives sometimes in luxury of objects but primarily like saving money and putting it away.

In the Capitalist community is just like the jungle or New York City only the strongest survive.

Traditionalism is the opposite of capitalism or pre-capitalism. Citizen will only work enough to receive the money needed to support themselves and family. This happens by paying by the amount of work given. When the opposite happens, less pay for amount of work, it can work but with limit because the wage can become so low its insufficient to support themselves and family. For this method to function for capitalism citizens must seek education. The enterpriser has the mind and spirit of a capitalism and perfumes capitalist activities. Before the organization of rational capitalism and the spirit of capitalism were represented by simple living, socialization and work somehow were changed by a more frugal living, different maneuvering of social life and a more determined work determinable created what we know as corporate America today. Profit and power is what in the world we live in today is the dominant way, the capitalistic way. I believe the spirit of capitalist transformed to adaptation of capitalism.

Weber attempts to explain himself by quoting Benjamin franklin and giving examples the support his point of view and this really gives one perspective on the matter. In my opinion, it does not have to involve religion or belief the way an individual handles or administrates his money or views money. We learn the dominant way of money and this system of capitalism is the dominant. It was not a spirit but an adaptation and evolution of time that influenced the capitalist behavior.

Studs Terkel suggests we stop thinking about “work ethic” in the obvious sense of one’s relationship to work or how one views the work that they do (Terkel, p.xxviii). He further argues that members of the working class are put down by members of the middle class, who are in turn oppressed by larger corporations. (Terkel, p. xxix).  All of this occurs because of the skewed standards of a work ethic placed upon everyone by society (Terkel, p. xxix).  He continues that with an increase in technology, we have machines doing the work that humans did-make things, so now humans can transform their views on work ethics and go on to other matters (Terkel, p.xxviii).

Now that humans are free to go on to other matters, they can focus on doing other, more meaningful types of work, as well as focus on finding this type of work.  This must be done carefully, to ensure that we do find work that is meaningful and fulfilling yet we are also still looking for work that causes us to have to think and use our minds creatively (Terkel, p.xxviii).  Terkel interviewed both blue and white-collar workers, and both expressed an unhappiness in their jobs and likened themselves to feeling like machines, robots, mules, and monkeys (Terkel, p. xiv).  Feeling as though an object or animal is just as capable of doing ones job is a reminder that one is indispensable and not truly leaving their mark in the world.  This feeling is very discouraging.

Terkel interviewed people who mentioned wanting to feel pride in their work, as if what they did had meaning. One taxi driver was proud of his driving abilities and boasted about how his customers even asked him how he does it so well (Terkel, p. xv).  Another person he interviewed was a waitress who takes pride in her ability to float around the dining room gracefully and quietly while telling her customers that they deserve her service (Terkel, p. xv).  Although these interviewees may be considered to have menial, blue-collar jobs that are not prestigious, the feelings of pride that they get from knowing they are good at what they do are insurmountable.

Terkel also writes of someone who gave up a stable job to pursue one that he enjoyed. This was an older man who did not blindly accept what he was told a work ethic should be and once he realized his human need to do work that mattered to him, there was no going back (Terkel, p.xxviii).  Terkel suggests that once we all come to this realization, finding work will be simple.  We will not be looking for jobs to do, but for something that occupies our time, our minds, and also lends us an income.