ABSTRACT
Weber devoted several studies to the analysis of the economic consequences of religious beliefs and practices. The Weber thesis searches for the roots of aspect of modernity – modern capitalism or the market economy – within religion. Weber focuses upon occidental rationality to such an extent that it leads him, willingly or unwillingly, to overestimate the differences to the detriment of the similarities. The occidental phenomena when transplanted into other civilisations follow a triple logic according to Weber. To summarise, Weber put the emphasis upon the extreme originality of modern rationalist capitalism. To locate Islam in the Weberian discourse presupposes a definition of Islam. It is a very large religion, a civilisation and a culture – categories that Weber uses almost equivalently. The Weber thesis claims that the special drive, combining in motivation both rationality and an outer-worldly orientation towards salvation, was conducive to a modern capitalist spirit.
