Dec 21, 2009
The Protestant ethic is a set of moral and social values encouraged by the leaders of the Reformation, a religious revolution that took place in Europe during the sixteenth century. Among those who directly influenced the Protestant ethic were Martin Luther (1483–1546), John Calvin (1509–1564), John Knox (1513–1572), Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531), and Conrad Grebel (c. 1498–1526). Their Protestant successors were Methodist Church founders John (1703–1791) and Charles Wesley (1707–1788). These religious leaders stressed the holiness of daily life, the importance of education and study, and the necessity of personal responsibility. They contended that the person who is hardworking, thrifty, and honest will be of value to his or her community and to God.
In the essay "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" (1905) German sociologist Max Weber (1864–1920) claimed...
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