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== The Iron Cage ==

== The Iron Cage ==

Weber's point in the seminal work ''Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism'' is not the success of protestant nations or capitalism over other nations or economic organizations.  He actually questioned the historicist conclusion that the protestant ethic or capitalism were responsible for the "success" of modernity.  In fact, such a conclusion is entirely Marxist, who Weber was in deliberate argument with.  This is expressed in Weber's notion of the '''Iron Cage''' from a passage in the conclusion of his book:

Weber's point in the seminal work ''Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism'' is not the success of Protestant nations or capitalism over other nations or economic organizations.  He actually questioned the historicist conclusion that the Protestant ethic or capitalism were responsible for the "success" of modernity.  In fact, such a conclusion is entirely Marxist, who Weber was in deliberate argument with.  This is expressed in Weber's notion of the '''Iron Cage''' from a passage in the conclusion of his book:

:''"...care for external goods should lie on the shoulders of the "saint like a light cloak, which can be thrown aside at any moment."  But fate decreed the cloak should become an iron cage"''

:''"...care for external goods should lie on the shoulders of the "saint like a light cloak, which can be thrown aside at any moment."  But fate decreed the cloak should become an iron cage"''

Weber's point is that the rationalization of individual behaviors towards a capitalist organization would create a rigid, authoritarian, materialistic, and dehumanized bureaucracy.  Some argue Weber was a pessimist in this regards but that he actually thought this was the best means of social organization.  Others note that he has argued that capitalism and its benefits existed before protestantism and that the protestant ethic only rationalized individual behavior towards this mode of production.  These people claim he was lamenting the ways in which human society had come to serve their tools and organizations (such as capitalism) rather than let these things serve them.

Weber's point is that the rationalization of individual behaviors towards a capitalist organization would create a rigid, authoritarian, materialistic, and dehumanized bureaucracy.  Some argue Weber was a pessimist in this regards but that he actually thought this was the best means of social organization.  Others note that he has argued that capitalism and its benefits existed before Protestantism and that the Protestant ethic only rationalized individual behavior towards this mode of production.  These people claim he was lamenting the ways in which human society had come to serve their tools and organizations (such as capitalism) rather than let these things serve them.

Regardless of which interpretation of Weber we take on this point, he was very clear that due to the rationalization of capitalism, the entire globe would be effected by it, perhaps forced to adopt it.  Whether or not this is a good thing is, of course, a point of debate related directly to the interpretation of the '''Iron Cage'''.

Regardless of which interpretation of Weber we take on this point, he was very clear that due to the rationalization of capitalism, the entire globe would be effected by it, perhaps forced to adopt it.  Whether or not this is a good thing is, of course, a point of debate related directly to the interpretation of the '''Iron Cage'''.