Success of Protestants Over Catholics
Weber begins his text by pointing out that the economic success of Protestants is unexpected. In some senses, it is ironic that Protestants have been more economically successful than Catholics because they tend to focus more on the importance of an ascetic lifestyle, and have been less socially privileged in many of the countries where this trend has emerged. The irony in this fact lies in its unexpectedness; despite their best efforts and despite appearances, Catholics still fail to be more successful than Protestants in the economic realm. Weber will later go on to explain that this does actually make sense, however, if one considers certain aspects of how these religions approached the question of salvation and one’s earthly calling.
Protestants as "worldly"
Weber points out that one common misconception regarding the greater material success of Protestants is that they are simply more “worldly,” or focused on their lives on earth, than Catholics are. However, according to Weber, this is not the reason for Protestants’ economic success; ironically, he believes that they are actually successful because they are more ascetic and focused on planning ahead. For example, Protestants such as the Calvinists believed that one could become more self-assured of one’s salvation by working hard and approaching one’s profession as a duty and a calling. This represents an example of irony in the work because it subverts common expectations of how a given narrative should operate.
Illustrating Historical Phenomena
Weber claims that most historical concepts he will be discussing must be regarded not as individual ideas, but rather in their broader concept. He points out that there are many different levels to most historical phenomena he discusses, since they each involve different interpretations and connections depending on how they are regarded. Ironically, however, he also explains that he will be making use of specific example and illustrations in order to explain his meaning to his readers, even when dealing with historical phenomena. He believes he must do this in order to be clear, since one cannot accurately and specifically analyze a general idea. This tension between the importance of generality in describing historical concepts and the importance of specificity when analyzing for readers represents an example of irony in the text.
Predestination vs Hard Work
Weber’s discussion of Calvinism points to an ironic aspect of this denomination: while Calvinists believe that their salvation is determined beforehand by God and cannot be changed, they also tend to work very hard and systematically approach their profession as a duty and a calling. These two contrasting facts represent an example of irony. However, Weber goes on to clarify that they can coexist because Calvinists also believe that working hard can help them to become more self assured and worry less about the question of salvation. It is not only a distraction, but is also sometimes regarded as a sign of salvation.
