Who is Benjamin Franklin from The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism and what is their importance?

Author Max Weber uses Benjamin Franklin's words to provide what he believes to be the best provisional description of the "spirit of capitalism" for the purposes of his investigation. He chose Franklin's economic fundamentals because they were pure and free from preconceptions and religious references.

Franklin told his readers to remember that time is money. Idleness means that one is not making money, but rather, losing money. Franklin describes the steps a person needs to take in order to become credit worthy; he must pay his debts on time or early, thus, raising his reputation among the lending community. Behavior and reputation also factors into credit reputation, as does living within one's means and saving a portion of earnings, which is seen as a positive practice for those who want to boost their credit rating. Franklin's formula for a success focused on honesty above all else. He coined the phrase, "Honesty is the best policy."