Writings of Max Weber are representing fundamental importance to Sociology as scientific discipline. While different concepts were still not described, he has tried to clear up situations considering power, people attitudes, economy, and religion and even give them definitions which we are interpreting till nowadays.
His works are without doubt having particular semantic load. This makes them harder to read but more challenging to explain. While analyzing different concepts described by Weber we should also take into consideration time when he was writing and influence of European, precisely, German politics and economics which somehow could have been different from others both in past and present. What is more, it should also be mentioned that we are still relying mostly on his translations from German, even though, by great authors as Talcott Parsons.
In this work we would refer to Weber’s explanation of economy with its capitalism and how he understood it. Moreover, was he predicting any changes and how it is actually happening in modern society of our century? Throughout Weber’s words about world’s attitude towards materialistic world we would try to interpret possible variations and reinforce them with examples.
All in all, there is a necessity of understanding the linking between described capitalism as it was from the very beginning and nowadays. However, there are also links between ethics and religious issues which, in my opinion were much stronger in previous times. “The iron cage” is here to be explained like metaphor but with real consequences of capitalism pressure. On the other hand, whereas there is a possibility of escaping, or, if not, is it inevitable to suffer from such regime?
Description of the Concept
In his “Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” Weber is strongly relating religious concepts with economical. It is logical as we can truly see that influence of different religious beliefs actually influenced economical way of living. Moreover, caused development of capitalism in the way Weber was seeing it.
“Iron cage” can be described as limits put on the society which is strongly dependent on material development and maintenance of capitalism system. How did it come to this? According to Weber, capitalism as process of profit pursuit existed in all civilizations. It also has been under certain transformations in period of industrial revolution and ended up bounding people and technological progress in a very strong and almost inevitable way. Dependence on machinery production and technologies should not have become so serious, however, has created conditions under which existing without them is almost impossible.
This creates vicious circle where people are working more in order to produce more and then to consume more. All in all the system has become so strong and independent that it exists now partially relying on society, and partially – on inside schemes which are keeping capitalism alive. On the other hand it still goes on not only because of people’s work but people’s wish for profit and secured future. We should also take in account that people who are standing behind this process are diversified according to their positions on social ladder.
It might also looks like some social groups as businessmen and wealthy people are out of iron trap because they do not need to constantly work like others. However, they are strongly dependent on other people’s efforts and this actually puts them even deeper inside the system as they are also about to fall in case of emergency.
Possible interpretations
Metaphor of “iron cage” is actual for nowadays world as well. Even though a lot has changed since industrial revolution we are still concerned about our production of goods and profit we can get from it. We can view this cage from different points of view. First as positive: iron cage is a lasting construction which is working as progress engine and helps to move towards new inventions. Second as more direct – this cage puts limitations on our existing and in the end will result overall collapse of the system. However, I suggest that both approaches are giving people an opportunity to escape the “iron cage”.
Regarding cage as positive concept we should admit technological progress and development which allow us now to use all benefits of civilization as modern gadgets, fast speed internet, powerful transport system and so on. Without people wish to live better and more mobilized there would be no these changes. Being satisfied with living in modesty of Christian asceticism there are lower chances that someone would ever invent fast ways of communication. Probably, all nowadays inventions would have appeared much later than it has happened. As development is continuing, I assume that in some point it can cause such high saturation of market with these goods that people will get what they want. Some time they will continue to live inside the cage, but sooner or later system of needs and beliefs will be changed and free society from pressure. Of course, this perspective sounds as utopia, but considering development of technologies we can assume that something good also can happen.
Second approach is about negative influence of cage and possible consequences. It will be viewed as danger for our environment and threat for societies’ economical stability.
We are all conscious about limits of resources we are using. Modern world’s economy is still dependent on energy sources as for example fuel and coal, which will sooner or later be used till the very end and will need replacing. For now, as it is still going on, huge amounts of money are spent; empires are built in order to satisfy industry’s demands and produce more of goods which will require even more energy. What impact of iron cage here can be seen? Exhausting of nature’s resources is leading to problems with ecology, quality of life and overall health of population, not even mentioning impact on flora and fauna in total. None of economic benefits would be able to improve situation and humanity will end striving already not for wealth but for survival. On the other hand this can be regarded as a way out of “iron cage”, painful and radical, but it will change people’s priorities for sure. We can interpret Weber’s assumption that cage will fall with last burned piece of coal as reference to this possible source shortage.
Another and even more applicable example is connected with different bank operations which are so currant these days. Collapse of economy is easier to imagine because it has occurred already during different defaults and sounds more realistic than ending of supplies, however, it is also connected with this. Bank systems are creating schemes which seem to be good opportunities for mentioned pursuit of profit. All this system of credits, mortgages and other economic manipulations allow businessmen to create capital almost out of nothing. Society is investing and, while willing to live in prosperity, believes that it will provide them with goods they are striving to get. After some period of time quantity of money is actually decreases, people are not able to pay, market is falling and it leads towards enrichment of limited amount of capitalists and total bankruptcy of society. Companies are shutting down; people are getting fired, losing their houses and sources for living. In the end, people are also about to get out of the cage, but once again in negative context because they are left with nothing and need to satisfy somehow their basic needs.
Conclusion
Weber’s concept for the “iron cage” is still actual metaphor for our economy. Throughout several centuries we are building it with our own hands. This phenomenon so far has gone global and now is influencing different countries. Mentioned interpretations are showing not only consequences for one country, but for global economy system.
We can see that for now this situation is quite stable, because progress is still on. Nevertheless, there are different prognoses which are showing possible changes. Will they be able to free society from the “iron cage” is questionable because it depends how we are interpreting this escaping. Weber is mentioning possibility of old ideas rebirth and returning to rational asceticism. I would rather assume that it will be not as positive as described.
Getting out of cage built by striving for money and wealth can really change belief and value systems but through complete fall. In this case people will re-focus but there is no guarantee that it will not create another cage. Driven probably by different motivation, it can trap society one more time. Being under similar pressure can appear to be so already habitual that it might cause discomfort to live in free conditions and overall return back to cage.
One more important detail is also how society perceives itself in this situation. People can regard themselves as part of the system but without negative subtext of being trapped. In this case this metaphor vanishes all alone and this concept should be used only by those who believe that there is an actual problem.
In my opinion problem of “iron cage” exists, and in some period of time our society will be fully conscious about it. Following actions and consequences are hard to predict because they are numerous. All in all, there is always a chance for change.
References
Weber, M. Readings and Commentary on Modernity. Blackwell Publishing, 2005.
—. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Taylor & Francis e-Library , 2005.
