
CUREJ - College Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal
Revisiting the Iron Cage: New Insights in Institutions Theory from Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
Division: Social Sciences
Dept/Program: Political Science
Document Type: Undergraduate Student Research
Mentor(s): Ian Lustick
Date of this Version: 27 March 2006
This document has been peer reviewed.
Abstract
This thesis reinterprets Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism using contemporary economic institutions theory as proposed by Douglass North in Institutions, Institutional Change, and Economic Performance. It shows that contrary to the accusations of his critics, Weber provides a clear mechanism for historical change which emphasizes human perceptions and changing costs. This thesis argues that Weber's approach can serve as a model for understanding other periods of historical change. This reinterpretation is used to refute Weber’s critics in explaining the continued—and widely unacknowledged—importance of The Protestant Ethic in the developing field of institutions theory, and our understanding of history.
Discipline(s)
Political Science
Suggested Citation
Grosack, Michael D., "Revisiting the Iron Cage: New Insights in Institutions Theory from Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" 27 March 2006. CUREJ: College Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal, University of Pennsylvania, https://repository.upenn.edu/curej/25.
Date Posted: 28 June 2006
This document has been peer reviewed.