A classic work by a great sociologist, whose thesis resurfaces regularly as the Loch Ness monster, but unfortunately completely wrong. Yet we can not get rid of and always new exegeses in addition to those that have already been published. The historian Fernand Braudel made short work in his masterly little book The dynamic of capitalism: "All historians have opposed this subtle thesis, although they fail to get rid once and for all; it continues to reappear before them The Northern countries have only taken the place occupied long and brightly before them by the old centers of the Mediterranean. ". (Pp. 69-70) Neither Protestantism or Puritanism there are for something. We know that correlation is not causation, but it is a prerequisite. Capitalism is also well developed in Catholic regions than Protestant, even earlier in Catholic regions. We distinguish the explanatory sociology of comprehensive sociology, the latter being represented by Max Weber. Now, to address such a topic, comprehensive sociology, despite its great merits, not probably enough. We must first clarify the hard facts (regions and countries in which capitalism has it developed?) Before coming to the interpretations given values and meaning (they reason Protestants as capitalists? What values defended -they?). Read this to understand how a great thinker can be mistaken, humbling in a way. And then there are the other tests.
