What Do I Have To Show For?

"It might thus seem that the development of the spirit of capitalism is best understood as part of the development of rationalism as a whole, and could be deduced from the fundamental position of rationalism on the basic problems of life." (p. 37) To me, this quote essentially states that the spirit of capitalism derives from the principle of accepting reason as the supreme authority in matters of opinion, belief, or conduct. People understand what they accept. There have been numerous instances in which I failed to comprehend a situation because I did not necessarily understand why things were the way they were. Often times, I will find myself questioning my growth as a person, and wondering how much of my inner child I will hold onto as time goes by despite the money-driven, capitalistic structure of society. I have seen that as I grow older, it becomes more and more apparent to me how capitalistic society really is, and the "fundamental position of rationalism" is structured to drive it. I need to understand and accept that the personal spirit of capitalism that I encounter needs to be met with the comprehension that rationalism is the essential foundation for many issues in life, and sometimes, it is difficult to fight.

"Labour in the service of a rational organization for the provision of humanity with material goods has without doubt always appeared to representatives of the capitalistic spirit as one of the most important purposes of their life-work." (p. 36) It seems that as I have grown older, I, among the rest of the world it seems, am living essentially to work. In this quote, Weber makes the argument that the structure of humanity is organized around life-work, but when I question what my "life-work" is, I come to realize that I have little to show. I am in school pursuing a Bachelor of Individualized Studies to focus on the subfields of Youth Studies, Gender and Women Sexuality Studies, and Social Justice. When I think about it, I am taking classes that have nothing to do with my major only to receive the liberal education requirements determined for me in the College of Liberal Arts, which will help me graduate with a super random degree which I will need in order to attend Graduate School for Social Work so I can work, make money, raise a family, and die.

What I got from Weber's argument is that the spirit of capitalism is a prevalent and driving force derived from rationalism and fuels the way society functions whether we like it or not.