Weber: Religion as a force for change
- Created by: meganreed
- Created on: 04-05-17 11:08
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- Weber: Religion as a force for change
- Calvinist Beliefs
- Predestination: God predetermined which souls will be save. Decision already made and cannot be altered
- Divine Transcendence: God so far beyond and greater no one can determine his will (including Church and priests).
- Salvation panic: cannot know if they have been chosen to be saved, cannot do anything to earn salvation
- Predestination: God predetermined which souls will be save. Decision already made and cannot be altered
- Salvation panic: cannot know if they have been chosen to be saved, cannot do anything to earn salvation
- Asceticism: abstinence, self-discipline, self-denial. EG Monks (ascetic existence) away from luxury etc devote themselves to God
- The idea of a vocation or calling
- For Calvinists the idea of a calling or vocation meant constant methodical work in an occupation (religious duty)
- Calvinists led ascetic lifestyles - idleness is a sin. Their wealth allowed them to cope with salvation panic - sign of Gods favour (contrary to their doctrine that Gods will was unknowable).
- Weber: Calvinism brought capitalism as we know it into the world - where the object is simple the acquisition of more and more money as an end in itself.
- Hinduism and Confucianism
- Protestant ethic alone was not sufficient on it's own to bring about capitalism but was one of the causes.
- Weber notes :16th and 17th Centuries China and India we materially more advanced than europe but capitalism didn't take off - Argues lack of religious belief system.
- Ancient India - Hinduism was an ascetic religion - it's orientation was other-worldly (turned followers concerns from material world to spiritual).
- Ancient China - Confucianism was about material world but wasnt ascetic.
- Both lacked drive to systematically accumulate wealth that is necessary for modern capitalism.
- Ancient India - Hinduism was an ascetic religion - it's orientation was other-worldly (turned followers concerns from material world to spiritual).
- Ancient China - Confucianism was about material world but wasnt ascetic.
- Both lacked drive to systematically accumulate wealth that is necessary for modern capitalism.
- Both lacked drive to systematically accumulate wealth that is necessary for modern capitalism.
- Ancient China - Confucianism was about material world but wasnt ascetic.
- Ancient India - Hinduism was an ascetic religion - it's orientation was other-worldly (turned followers concerns from material world to spiritual).
- Both lacked drive to systematically accumulate wealth that is necessary for modern capitalism.
- Ancient China - Confucianism was about material world but wasnt ascetic.
- Evaluation
- Kautsky: Weber overestimates the role of ideas and underestimates economic factors bringing capitalism into being - Capitalism proceeded rather than followed Calvinism.
- Tawney: technological change, not religous ideas, caused caapitalism.
- Capitalism did not develop in every country where there were Calvinists - Scotland had a large Calvinist population but slow to develop capitalism
- Calvinist Beliefs
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