Protestant work ethic

The Protestant work ethic, also known as the Calvinist work ethic or the Puritan work ethic, is a work ethic concept in the social sciences, particularly sociology, economics, and history. It emphasizes a moral belief that a person's subscription to the values espoused by the Protestant faith, particularly Calvinism, results in diligence, discipline, and frugality. The term was initially coined by the sociologist Max Weber in his 1905 book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. In this work, Weber asserted that Protestant ethics and values, along with the Calvinist doctrines of asceticism and predestination, was a factor in the rise and spread of modern capitalism. Just as priests and caring professionals are deemed to have a vocation (or "calling" from God) for their work, according to the Protestant work ethic, the "lowly" workman also has a noble vocation which he can fulfill through dedication to his work. However, despite Weber's book being one of the most influential and cited in sociology, the thesis presented has been controversial since its release. In opposition to Weber, historians such as Fernand Braudel and Hugh Trevor-Roper assert that the Protestant work ethic did not create capitalism, and that capitalism developed in pre-Reformation Catholic communities. Historian Laurence R. Iannaccone has written that "the most noteworthy feature of the Protestant Ethic thesis is its absence of empirical support". The concept often helps define the self-view of societies of Northern, Central and Northwestern Europe as well as the United States.