▁view ▁the ▁craft ▁as ▁an ▁end ▁in ▁itself , ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁" call ing " ▁would ▁serve ▁this ▁need ▁well . ▁This ▁attitude ▁is ▁well - not ed ▁in ▁certain ▁classes ▁which ▁have ▁end ured ▁religious ▁education , ▁especially ▁of ▁a ▁Piet ist ▁background . ▁ ▁He ▁defines ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁capital ism ▁as ▁the ▁ideas ▁and ▁es prit ▁that ▁favour ▁the ▁rational ▁purs uit ▁of ▁economic ▁gain : ▁" We ▁shall ▁never theless ▁provision ally ▁use ▁the ▁expression ▁' sp irit ▁of ▁capital ism ' ▁for ▁that ▁attitude ▁which , ▁in ▁the ▁purs uit ▁of ▁a ▁calling ▁[ ber uf sm äß ig ], ▁st riv es ▁system atically ▁for ▁profit ▁for ▁its ▁own ▁sake ▁in ▁the ▁manner ▁exempl ified ▁by ▁Benjamin ▁Franklin ." ▁ ▁We ber ▁points ▁out ▁that ▁such ▁a ▁spirit ▁is ▁not ▁limited ▁to ▁Western ▁culture ▁if ▁one ▁cons iders ▁it ▁as ▁the ▁attitude ▁of ▁individuals , ▁but ▁that ▁such ▁individuals ▁– ▁hero ic ▁entrepr ene urs , ▁as ▁he ▁calls ▁them ▁– ▁could ▁not ▁by ▁themselves ▁establish ▁a ▁new ▁economic ▁order ▁( cap ital ism ). ▁He ▁further ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁capital ism ▁could ▁be ▁divor ced ▁from ▁religion , ▁and ▁that ▁those ▁passion ate ▁capital ists ▁of ▁his ▁era ▁were ▁either ▁passion ate ▁against ▁the ▁Church ▁or ▁at ▁least ▁ind ifferent ▁to ▁it . ▁Des ire ▁for ▁profit ▁with ▁minimum ▁effort ▁and ▁seeing ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁bur den ▁to ▁be ▁avoided , ▁and ▁doing ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁what ▁was ▁enough ▁for ▁mod est ▁life