Religion and Social Change

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Calvinist Beliefs

Predestination- God has already predetermined which souls would have been saved and which would not, even before birth. However, individuals could not change this whether it be through good deeds, faith, prayer etc. God's decision has been made and can not be altered.

Divine Transcendence- God was so far above this world that he is greater than any other being on earth, which means that no one could ever claim to know his will other than what God has already chosen to reveal through the bible. This includes the church and priests. This meant calvinists felt an unprecendented inner loneliness. In addition to the predestination, this then created a salvation panic because they could not do anything to be saved or know if they had been saved.

Asceticim- self discipline and self denial. eg. monks live an ascetic existance, live simply to devote themselves to God and a life of prayer.

Vocation/Calling- Calvinists introduced third worldly asceticism. From the bible, they recognised that they were put on earth to glorify God's name through their work. Therefore, a vocation to them meant methodical work in an occupation, not a monastry. However, this was only a religious duty and could not earn them salvation.

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Calvinist Beliefs (2)

The success and wealth of the calvinists performed a psychological function that helped them deal with the salvation panic.  As they grew wealither and their businesses/ occupations became more successful, they saw this as a sign from of of their salvation. This was then contradictary of their belief that God's will is unknowable.

Through their work ethic, Calvinists systematically and methodically grew wealither through the most efficient and rational means possible. Through their belief of not wasting money on luxuries, they then reinvested their money into their businesses meaning that they became more successful, made further profit which then meant they could reinvest further into their business. Weber beliefs that through this is the very spirit of capitalism.

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Hinduism and Confucianism

Weber believed that capitalism didn't take off in India and China because they lacked religious belief systems life calvinism that would have brought its development.

Hinduism is an ascetic religion that favoured the renunciation of the material world. It was other worldly and its followers focused on the spiritual world.

Confucianism also discouraged the growth of rational capitalism. Confucianism was this worldly that directed followers to the material world, but was not ascetic.

Weber believes that both hinduism and confuciansim lacked the drive to systematically accumlate wealth that is necessary for modern capitalism.

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Religion and Social Change Evaluation

Weber's work is often seen as a 'debate with Marx's ghost'. Marx saw economic or material factors as a force of change where as weber believes that these alone can not bring about capitalism. Weber believed specific cultural factors were needed.

Karl Kautsky(1927) argues that Weber overestimated the role of ideas and underestimates economic factors. He argues that capitalism proceded rather than followed calvinism.

R.H. Tawney(1926) argues that technological change started the development of capitalism. It was after capitalism was created that the bourgeoisie adopted Calvinist beliefs to legitmate their aim of econmic gain.

Capitalism did not develop in all countries that had calvinists. eg. scotland. Gordon Marshall(1982) argued that this was because of the lack of investmetal capital and skilled labour.

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