Abstract

Traditional economists such as Adam Smith began to pay attention to topics such as economic development and economic growth by focusing on resolving issues such as production labor, capital increase, and the breakthrough innovations of production technology. Amartya Sen also drew much attention to the study of economic development when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1998. Max Weber fully addressed the correlation between the ethical considerations of religions such as Lutheranism, Calvinism and Quakers and the development of capitalism. Whether it is the traditional economics study, Max Weber’s innovative approach on the correlation between religious ethics and capitalist market economics, or Amartya Sen’s further expansion on the ethical economics, they all show that the correlation between ethical reflections and economic development is a prized academic research trend. The combined effort of Max Weber's religious ethics approach and the use of Amartya Sen’s research method in ethical economics could become another perspective in understanding Russia’s economic development.

Key words: Amartya Sen, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Eastern Orthodox Church, economic ethics, Beruf, Berufsmensch, homo economicus, constitutive freedoms, instrumental freedoms.