> German sociologist Max Weber was wondering the same question about a century ago and wrote a whole book about it called "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism".
Some criticisms on the idea, and especially this observation that the 'ethic' may have originated earlier than Protestantism:
> Andersen et al found that the location of monasteries of the Catholic Order of Cistercians, and specifically their density, highly correlated to this work ethic in later centuries;[37] ninety percent of these monasteries were founded before the year 1300 AD. Joseph Henrich found that this correlation extends right up to the twenty-first century.[38]
Some criticisms on the idea, and especially this observation that the 'ethic' may have originated earlier than Protestantism:
> Andersen et al found that the location of monasteries of the Catholic Order of Cistercians, and specifically their density, highly correlated to this work ethic in later centuries;[37] ninety percent of these monasteries were founded before the year 1300 AD. Joseph Henrich found that this correlation extends right up to the twenty-first century.[38]
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_work_ethic#Criticis...