Traditionalism

@MadeleineWeir: When you say that one has to be "taught" to perform in the spirit of capitalism that one is not naturally born that way? And that it is only through the evolving capitalist society that people are tuned to perform in a way of maximizing profit? However, I think that we also need to take in the perspective of viewing greediness as a fundamental human nature. As a result, I believe that humans are naturally born to want to work harder in order to receive greater gains. Marx also claims that humans are born to work and it is work that is considered our species-essence. Is it not so that we want to work harder if given the opportunity to be rewarded for it?

I agree that some people are driven by “the greed for gold” to make money. For example, the entrepreneurs who work hard to gain profit may enjoy the power and prestige that accompany wealth. Weber argues that most workers have no intention to maximize their wages because of their complete lack of “coscienziosità” in the early capitalist environment. They have no thorough understanding of efficiency and obligation to their jobs, and they just earn enough wages to support their accustomed way of life. Labour is perceived as the product of “a long and arduous process of education”. If the workers do not get a good education, they will not know how to seek profit rationally. I think now people are generally aware that if they want to earn more money, they have to work harder.

I do agree with statement mentioned above about the perspective of greediness being a part of human nature. However, Weber mentions that “old leisurely and comfortable attitude toward life” as key feature when describing traditionalism and the older form of labour. This to me suggests that the workers were happy with the way things were and they focused more on their comfort and leisure, earning just enough to lead a respectable life rather than making profit or earning more. Instead, I think that the human nature of greediness rooted from entrepreneurs who made the existence of labour more frugal and competitive, not necessarily because it has always been in human’s nature to work hard and gain more.