Religious Ethics Economic Ethic Social Changes——A Review of Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

In his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,Max Weber,from the prespective of religious ethics,probes into the reasons why morden capitalism has developed in the Occident rather than in the Orient.Weber holds that the root reason for this phenomenon is the spirit of capitalism.In his analysis,he places overdue emphasis on the function of spirit and ignores the function of matter.Marx's historical materialism not only attaches importance to the function of spirit but also the power of matter behind spirit,making a comprehensive analysis of the origin of morden capitalism.Although Weber's book has some limitations,it gives inspiration to China's current economic construction.