Evaluation

• Weber's work seen as a 'debate with Marx's ghost' due to Marx' insistence on historical materialism and that social change was only possible through material factors. Weber disagrees, cultural factors are also needed.
• Katusky 1927: Weber overestimates the role of ideas and underestimates the economic factors that brought capitalism to life. Capitalism preceded rather than followed Calvinism.
• Tawney 1926: technological change rather than religious ideas caused the birth of capitalism. Only after capitalism did the bourgeoisie adopt Calvinist beliefs to legitimate their pursuit of economic gain
• Scotland - fuck loads of calvinists, no money
• Marshall 1982: lack of investment and skilled labour in Scotland supporting Weber's argument that both material and cultural factors must be present for capitalism to emerge
• Calvinist's first capitalist class as they were excluded by law from political office and thus business was an alternative
• Weberians reply that many other religious minorities were excluded from political office and yet did not become the capitalist