From Asceticism to Administration of Wealth. Medieval Monasteries and the Pitfalls of Rationalization

Abstract

Medieval monasteries are analysed on the basis of Weber's concept of the process of rationalization, since they represent an important episode in this process. They were the first deliberately designed organization in the Occident. These rationally designed work organizations and the puritan work ethic created by the monks led to the accumulation of immense wealth which was incompatible with the ideal of an ascetic life conducted in poverty. Thus, medieval monasteries, leaving no room for self-determination, provide the first example of the 'iron cage' of bureaucracies.