Western countries are characterised by their democratic political systems, the prominence of Western religions like Judaism and Christianity and the uptake of capitalism. We are often told that the Industrial Revolution is what drove Europe and North America to become capitalist countries during the 1800s, providing the modern world with new medical devices, machinery and computer technologies.

However, the German sociologist Max Weber argued that this was false because the rise of capitalism was not a result of economic factors but rather capitalism was deeply connected to the values and beliefs of Protestant Christians.

Max Weber's "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" is a profound work in the field of sociology that explores the connection between the rise of capitalism and the Protestant work ethic. The purpose of this video is to understand how Protestant Christianity was critical in the development of capitalism and how it has shaped the world today.

Sources:

Franklin, Benjamin. "Advice to a Young Tradesman, (21 July 1748)". Founders Online. National Archives and Records Administration/University of Virginia Press. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.

McKinnon, AM (2010). "Elective affinities of the Protestant ethic: Weber and the chemistry of capitalism" (PDF). Sociological Theory. 28 (1): 108–126.

Michael Shea (6 October 2015). "The Protestant Ethic and the Language of Austerity". Discover Society.

Max Weber; Peter R. Baehr; Gordon C. Wells (2002). The Protestant ethic and the "spirit" of capitalism and other writings. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-043921-2. Retrieved 21 August 2011.