For What Purpose do We Still Read the Protestant Ethic Today?

Abstract

With reference to the Protestant Ethic it will be shown that Weber favoured an ambitious research program. This was the case, because he turned down the research program in religious science of the Usener School (under the heading of “philological tact”); next, because he favoured the explanatory model in the natural sciences of von Kries (M. Heidelberger), and responded in this way to the “challenge of the natural sciences” (O.G. Oexle). In line with F.W. Graf it will be shown that Weber, due to his close reliance on Schneckenburger’s contrasting type-portraits of Lutheranism and Calvinism, fell into the trap of “implicit theological value-judgements” (F.W. Graf).