「프로테스탄트倫理와 資本主義精神」과 웨버의 理念型 方法에 관한 小考 = SOME OBSERVATIONS ON WEBER'S IDEAL-TYPE METHOD IN 「THE PROTESTANT ETHIC AND THE SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM」

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" Weber's primary concern was to examine the causal influence of Protestant ethic on the genesis of capitalistic regime. As Weber defined capitalism, it was a modern phenomenon peculiar to Western society. What distinguishes modern capitalism from the various froms of capitalistic activity is its economic rationalism and a rational economic spirit which he called the spirit of capitalism. On the basis of his investigation of Calvinistic doctrines and the various historical figures, Weber asserts that the new economic spirit has originated from the ascetic Protestantism.
Nevertheless, the causal connection between the emergence of Protestantism and that of modern capitalism is the one conceived in ideal-typical terms. Weber conceives the spirit of capitalism as a unique combination of unlimited appetite for accumulation and disciplined obligation of work as a duty. Economic acquisition is not the means for the satisfaction of his material needs. It is the ultimate purpose of his life, together with the strict avoidance of all spontaneous enjoyment of life. Also, as for Calvinist doctrines, Weber analyzed only those components -the doctrines of predestination and notion of calling- which he identifies as of particular importance in relation to the formation of the capitalistic spirit. Thus he shows us that hard work, the morally dutiful pursuits of a calling and the absolute avoidance of any enjoyment of wealth which detracts man from his work and from religion are all enjoined by the Protestant ethic.
With his schematic construction of the Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism, both slanted in the same direction, Weber did not have much difficulty in discovering elements of congruity between two factors. However, if the theory thus constructed would closely the empirical phenomena approached the ideal-types he had constructed. Weber's critics have raised a number of important objections on the basis that his ideal-typology shows a wide divergence from empirical-historical reality and the causal priority of the Protestant ethic can not be demonstrated.
I attempted to show in this paper that Weberin thesis suffers from serious methodological deficiences, and that the ideal-type method was not adequate when dealing with problems as complex as those which weber concerned himself. First, the oversimplication of a complex historical entity, which is inherent in the construction of an ideal-type precisely because this method entails the accentuation and isolation of a particular component factor regarded as significant from a certain point of view, easily leads to various distortions of reality. Secondly, another deficiency in Weber's typological construction is the absence of the method to identify and analyze interactions between social systems. As a result of this lack of causal identification between action and reaction, the ideal-type method neglects the time-coefficient, or at any rate impairs the possibility of establishing time sequences.
It should be concluded that Weber has not been so successful in his effort to demonstrate the causative influence of the Protestant ethic upon the emergence of capitalism. However, it should be admitted that Weber made a major contribution to the development of sociological thought. He has raised a sociological problem of considerable importance: The influence of world views upon social organization or individual attitude.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Ⅰ. 머리말
• Ⅱ. 理念型 方法과 웨버의 學說
• Ⅲ. 웨버學說에 대한 비판
• Ⅳ. 맺음말 : 웨버學說의 社會學的 意義