Max Weber

The Puritan, like every religious man, was a 'theologian' in his own way. He was a man of faith, who sought to understand the world in terms of God's will.

The 'calling' of the modern entrepreneur is to accumulate capital.

The more the world becomes rationalized and intellectualized, the more it loses its meaning.

The Protestant ethic was not the cause of capitalism, but it was a crucial factor in its development.

The ultimate and most decisive motive for the development of the bureaucratic organization has been the purely technical superiority of this type of organization over any other form of organization.

The 'iron cage' of bureaucracy is an inescapable fate for modern society.

The development of capitalism is unthinkable without the development of the modern state.

The 'spirit of capitalism' is not simply the pursuit of wealth, but a specific ethical orientation towards work and accumulation.

The modern state is a compulsory association which organizes domination.

The 'calling' is a religious concept, but it has been secularized and transformed into the modern idea of a profession.

The modern capitalist enterprise is based on rational calculation and systematic organization.

The 'iron cage' is a metaphor for the increasing rationalization and bureaucratization of modern life, which traps individuals in a system of efficiency and control.

The 'spirit of capitalism' is not identical with the desire for gain, but rather with the rational pursuit of profit.

The modern state is a 'rational' state, based on legal-rational authority.

The 'disenchantment of the world' is a process of demystification, where magic and superstition are replaced by scientific understanding.

The 'calling' is a central concept in Protestantism, which emphasizes the idea that God has a specific purpose for each individual's life.

The 'iron cage' is a powerful image of the dehumanizing effects of modern bureaucracy and rationalization.

The 'spirit of capitalism' is a historical phenomenon, not a natural one.

The modern state is an institution that claims the monopoly of legitimate violence.

The 'disenchantment of the world' leads to a loss of meaning and purpose in life.