ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism are two ideas that were suggested by a German scholar named Max Weber. The Protestant Ethic is the idea that Protestants (a type of Christian church) believed that hard work and making money was part of their duty as Christians. This idea made Protestants more likely to be successful in life and created a system where if you worked hard and made money, you would be a good Christian.

The Spirit of Capitalism is an idea that suggests that when people work hard and make money, they then use that money to invest in businesses and get richer. Businesses then used this money to hire more workers, which created an economy that was driven by capitalism—meaning that businesses could make money by buying and selling things.

In conclusion, the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism are two ideas that helped create a system that allowed people to make lots of money if they worked hard, and then use that money to invest in businesses and create more money.