The Protestant Ethic and Capitalism

ABSTRACT: The Reformation arose from society's reaction to the luxury, immorality and indifference of the clergy of the Catholic Church and returning to the original purity of New Testament Christianity. The Protestant culture supports the principle of equality and individualism. These were the basis for the development of capitalism. Various studies conclude that there is a strong link between Protestantism’s behavioral patterns, concepts of secular ethics and religious doctrines of Protestantism. KEYWORDS: ethic, morality, values, protestantism, capitalism, Max Webe