Weber's Economic Ethics Spirit And Its Rational Inspiration In The Contemporary Era

The early 20th century, Max Weber, German sociologist, economist and historian, devoted to exploring "economic ethics of the world's various religions", for the first time proposed the concept of economic ethics. In "The Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism", he expressed the economic ethics as "bourgeois businessmen realize that they fully receive God's grace and is really blessed by God. They feel that as long as they pay attention to the correct and appropriate appearance, ethical behaviors are not stained, the use of property is not criticized, they are whim dominated by the interests of their own money, and also feel a responsibility to do things."Webber though that the protestant ethic shaped the spirit of capitalism, that is frugal, money comes first, and professionalism which lead to development of capitalist economy.From the perspective of economic philosophy, this article sums up main content on the spirit of Max Weber's economic ethics, makes use of ideas and methods of Marxism, reveals value and shortcomings of the spirit of Weber's economic ethics, at the same time,probes its inspiration to socialist market economy and proposes the corresponding principles and spirit of economic ethics.This article is divided into three chapters:The first chapter mainly introduces the formation and main content of the spirit of Weber's economic ethics. Firstly, this chapter introduces social and historical background and ideological roots of the spirit of Weber's Economic Ethics; secondly, it describes basic viewpoints of the spirit of Weber's economic ethics from the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. It focuses on the concept of vocation, predestination, asceticism and thrifty, money oriented and dedicated.The second chapter is emphasis and difficulty, rationally analyzes the spirit of Weber's economic ethics. Firstly, this chapter introduces the value of the spirit of Weber's economic ethics, the first is that the protestant ethic promotes the emergence and development of the capitalist economy, the second is that the spirit of capitalism is the spiritual power to promote economic development, Weber thought that this spirit even more important than simply encouraging capital accumulation, and pointed out that the spirit of capitalism played an important role in ending the traditionalism, the third is to criticize and reflect modern capitalism, Weber defended for the capitalist system, simultaneously recognized that the contradictions behind the false prosperity that western society existed and western capitalist society went to dead end. Secondly, revealing defects of the spirit of Weber's economic ethics, the first is that Weber exaggerated the role of protestant ethic, denied the decision of economy, inverted the relationship between social existence and social consciousness; the second is that Weber beautifying the spirit of capitalism made it easy to overlook the potential crisis of capitalism, did not see the greed inherent of capitalism itself; the third is that Weber excessively whitewashed exploitation of the capitalists and attributed the poverty of the working class to their idleness by nature, which is actually promoting the rational exploitation of the capital, a defense for the capitalist system.The third chapter is part of breakthrough and innovation, focuses on the spirit of Weber's economic ethics to the rational inspiration of socialist market economy of China. Firstly, the chapter describes that the socialist market economy demands spirit of economic ethics; Secondly, it discusses the ethics of the socialist market economy is the unity of adaptability and transcendence; thirdly, it explained the socialist market economic ethics is the unity of "economic man" and "ethical man"; finally, it points out that the socialist market economy should adhere to humanitarian principles, the principle of collective unity, sincerity of efficiency and fairness principles and brings up the spirit of economic ethics such as integrity, dedication, thrift and innovation.