Despite having been underlined as contrary to established fact, the myth that there is a causal link between Protestantism and the emergence of capitalism persists in the popuar imagination as well as the academy. This article illustrates where Max Weber’s theory contradicts all the available...

We revisit Max Weber's hypothesis on the role of Protestantism for economic development. We show that nationalism is crucial to both, the interpretation of Weber's Protestant Ethic and empirical tests thereof. For late 19th century Prussia we reject Weber's suggestion that Protestantism mattered...

Max Weber schrieb vor fast 100 Jahren den besonderen ökonomischen Erfolg Europas der protestantischen Arbeitsethik zu. Der 500. Jahrestag der Reformation gibt Anlass, seine These in größeren Zusammenhängen zu diskutieren. Zum einen zeigen konkurrierende Erklärungsansätze, dass geologische,...