Why is the concept of “calling” decisive for Weber’s understanding of modern capitalism? Homework Help

Choose one of the following questions and critically analyze it in no more than six double-spaced typed pages. Try to stay close to the texts and cite passages where appropriate. Also keep in mind the criteria spelled out in the “Grading Practices”. We will adhere to these and you should use them in organizing your paper. We want to try to move from what to how and why. As you do so see what questions occur to you as you work through the text. Try to incorporate them into your paper. Remember that being original does not means saying something that no one has ever said before. It means working at the edge of your own thinking and pushing yourself to deepen and extend your understanding.
1.) Why is the concept of “calling” decisive for Weber’s understanding of modern capitalism? Examine his treatment of it in Luther, Calvin, and Franklin. Is asceticism still a fundamental element of the “spirit of capitalism”? Why or why not?

2.) Compare and contrast Weber’s conception of the capitalist entrepreneur and the modern bureaucrat as distinctive social types. Why is the distinction between them important for Weber’s understanding of the character of modern society?

3.) What does Weber mean by “charismatic authority”? How and why does he contrast it to “bureaucracy”? In what ways does this contrast contribute to a sociological understanding of power in modern society?

4.) Weber regards rational capitalism as “the most fateful force in our modern life.” He would say the same about legal-rational domination and rational bureaucracy. Why do these three phenomena have such a decisive influence on modern society and our lives? How do they become what Weber calls an “iron cage?”