The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

SECOND EDITION / IMPRESSION. Weber’s classic study examining the relationship between religious belief and the development of modern capitalism, first published in German in 1904–05 and translated into English in 1930. Arguing that Protestant ideas of vocation, discipline, and worldly asceticism helped shape capitalist mentalities, the work became one of the foundational texts of modern sociology. This 1948 second impression reflects the book’s enduring influence in post-war debates on economics, culture, and the moral foundations of modern society. Although the publisher refers to this printing as a second impression and the sheets appear to be the same, though the dust jacket differs in design. BOOK: Original black cloth boards with gilt lettering; boards are unmarked, straight and square; top-stain dark, a few spots to foreedge otherwise internally clean. DJ: Unclipped dust jacket is browned to spine, nicked to extremities. The 1930 first edition is among the most collectible and scarce; this 1948 printing is also extremely uncommon, especially so in the jacket.…