O Paradoxo Calvinista, por Max Weber

The video analyzes Calvinism as the driving force behind political and cultural transformations in the 16th and 17th centuries, highlighting the doctrine of predestination as its central pillar. This belief generated a profound inner isolation in the individual, who, unable to obtain salvation through sacramental means or human help, began to seek signs of their divine election in worldly asceticism and professional success. Unlike Lutheranism, Calvinism imposed a methodical rationalization of daily life, transforming work into a tool for the self-glorification of God. This ethical system eliminated spontaneity and magic from the world, replacing them with rigorous and systematic self-inspection. Thus, the Puritan way of life shaped a new type of human personality, characterized by self-control and inflexible discipline. This spiritual structure is presented as the basis for the development of economic rationalism and the character of nations with a Protestant past.