Lecture 18 Flashcards
1
Q
Th eprotestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism
A
- Published in 1905
- Put ourselves in the position of actors and subjects to understand what’s motivating them to do what they do
- Think of religion in this way
- Observation from an empathic position
- Cautioned us against taking on a stance of critique or contempt for those who have religious beliefs
2
Q
The reformation
A
- 16th century religious political movement
- Movement of reform of the catholic church
- Movement of resistance
- 1517 martin Luther objected against the sale of indulgences
- Calvinism: French theologian
- The counter reformation 1545–1563
- The council of trent … the spanish inquisition
- the Spanish inquisition: attempt to overturn the pope
- 1618-1648 30 year war a conflict between catholics and protestants
• At the end of this war we see the current european alignment
• Protestantism: a main division of christianity
• Chief protestant denominations are:
• Puratents is within the prespetarian denomination. Many immigrated to the US
• Puratents: share a strong belief in human sinfulness and the wrath of god. Devoted to plain living and hard work.
• Ideal type that sociologists construct that represents typical features of a phenomenon. Blueprints
3
Q
What was the 30 year war?
A
- 1618-1648 30 year war a conflict between catholics and protestants
- At the end of this war we see the current european alignment
- Protestantism: a main division of christianity
Chief protestant denominations are: - Puratents is within the prespetarian denomination. Many immigrated to the US
- Puratents: share a strong belief in human sinfulness and the wrath of god. Devoted to plain living and hard work.
- Ideal type that sociologists construct that represents typical features of a phenomenon. Blueprints
4
Q
What are puretants ?
A
- Puratents is within the prespetarian denomination. Many immigrated to the US
- Puratents: share a strong belief in human sinfulness and the wrath of god. Devoted to plain living and hard work.
5
Q
What is secularization?
A
- removing the religious aspects of phenomenon.
- Modernization with the enlightenment.
6
Q
What is asceticism?
A
- a practice of self denial
- Ascetic practices are practices of self denial. Deny yourself of things you desire
7
Q
The secularization of asceticism
A
- Weber argues that originally asceticism is tied to religious practice
- Over time with modernization asceticism becomes less religious
- What used to be motivated by religion becomes motivated by habit
- Weber makes a distinction between 2 forms of asceticism
8
Q
What are the two forms of asceticism?
A
- Mysticism
2. Asceticism
9
Q
What is mysticism?
A
- asceticism practiced by mystics.
- They believe they are a vessel of god.
- Believes they must live apart from society.
- A person who lives in a convent or monastery.
- Will deny themself a particular kind of pleasure because they are a vessel of god.
- Renounces the world
10
Q
What is asceticism?
A
- believes they are an instrument of god.
- Practice in the world in everyday life amongst people.
- Will deny themselves pleasure because it’s practical.
- Lives in the world
- Puritans are ascetics. They live in the world. They glorify god through their professional activity, through family life
- Puritanism is closer to becoming non religious
11
Q
What caused capitalism to flourish ?
A
- The form of capitalism is found in various forms throughout history
- Weber rejects marks’ explanation
- He argues we must consider culture, not only ideology
- Weber argues that if it was just a pop increase why did the same pop increase in china not lead to capitalism
- Weber argues that jewish ppl did not create that economic form and their ethics are not compatible with that economic form
- Capitalism is a basic movement in world history
- He encouraged ideal types of capitalism to avoid hasty generalizations
- Weber argues to study the alignment between cultural movements and economic forms
- Culture can promise and stunt an economic form
- Study the specific principles of the first European capitalist entrepreneurs
- Weber argues that within Protestantism there are a lot of differences but their ethical prescriptions for living (ethical maxims) were very similar (asceticism)
- Asceticism = puritanism
12
Q
The calling and God’s grace
A
- Calling by god to do a particular line of work
- Predestination: god has chosen a select number of people who cannot lose god’s grace
- Some ppl are chosen by god some aren’t
- The problem that puritans run into is how do they know if they were selected or not
- In practice what happens is for puritans’ success in one’s work becomes a sign that one is indeed in god’s grace
- God decides what our calling is
- the success of our calling is proof that we are in god’s grace
- Ones calling is that way that god has decided that we would be working to celebrate/honor that we are in god grace
13
Q
usefulness in ones work is important to a protestant (3 criteria)
A
- Our work must generate moral benefits
- It must produce goods that are a benefit to one’s community
- Must be profitable to the individual
– Success in business become proof tha one is indeed one of gods chosen ones
14
Q
Is being wealthy contrary to asceticism?
A
- Weber argues that it is not
- It’s not being rich that is a bad thing, its enjoying it
- Wasting time is a sin
- Protestants celebrate hard work, productivity and they reject luxury and enjoyment
15
Q
Why do these factor creat the right atmosphere for capitalism to flourish?
A
- The desire to acquire riches was seen as immoral
- The puralist mindset of acquiring wealth becomes a moral endeavor
- Instead of enjoying our wealth we reinvest it
- Capital grows based on surplus labor
- By investing that money our capital grows even more
