Topic 2 - Weber: religion as a force for change

Predestination - God predetmined which souls saved - 'the elect' before brith. Couldn't do anything to change this.

Divine trascendence - God so far above + beyond, no human could claim to know his will. Felt 'unprecedented inner loneliness'. When combined w/ predestination, -> 'salvation panic'. Couldn't know whether been chosen/saved, couldn't do anything about it.

Asceticism - abstinence, self-discipline + self-denial.

Idea of vocation/calling - 'this-worldy asceticism' - for C's, idea of calling/vocation meant constant, methodical work in occupation, not monastery - religious duty. Led ascetic lifestyle, shunned luxury. Wealth/success - psych function, allowed them to cope w/ salvation panic. Wealthier, sign of God's favour/salvation. Driven by work ethic, accumulated wealth by most efficient + radical means poss, reinvested money in businesses. Weber's view - spirit of mod capitalism - object simply acquisition of more money as end in itself. Calvinism brough capitalism.

Hinduim - ascetic religion, favoured renunciation of material world, but other-worldly - directed followers concerns away from material world to spiritual world. Ancient India.

Confucianism - discouraged growth of rational cap, but for diff reasons. This-wordly religion, but not ascetic. 

Both lacked drive to accumulate wealth necessary for modern cap. Calvinism unique in combining asceticism + this-worldly orientation to enable spirit of modern cap to emerge.

W's work - debate w/ M's ghost. M saw econ/material factors as driving force of change, W - material factors alone not enough to bring cap. Needed specific cultural factors to bring them (Calvinism).

Kautsky (1927) - Marxist. Argues W overestimates role od ideas, underestimates econ factors. Cap preceded Calvinism.

Tawney (1926) - tech change, not religious ideas that brough cap.

W criticed b/c cap didn't develop in every country where Calvinists - Scotland, lots of C's, slow to develop cap.