Humanities Questions and Answers

In Give Me Liberty, Foner states that pious leaders “Seized the opportunities offered by the market revolution to spread their message” (360). To showcase their cause to other individuals, leaders would deliberately “resonate…the spread of market values” (360) with spiritual belief. Therefore, with the help of the market revolution and exertion of religious ideals the rate of reformation grew exponentially. Spiritual leaders would impose strict beliefs onto their followers which ultimately results in innovations and endless productivity. In contrast; however, “evangelical preachers can hardly be described as cheerleaders for a market society” (360). Though they benefited immensely from the Market Revolution, leaders believed this era to be consisted of “selfishness– an extreme form of individualism encouraged by the scramble for wealth” (360). The revivalists critiqued those who participated in the market revolution as materialistic individuals who cared only for monetary value. Despite using its innovations for their own gain, spiritual leaders did not share the same values as corporate leaders and higher ranking business officials. The revival of religion along with the growing popularity of the market society had inspired change in America despite the different perspective they each acquired. Hence,

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Capitalism thrives in the United States in a manner different than anywhere else in the world. As time passed, it became apparent that spending and creating secured the power it currently possesses. While this country appears to be secular in the way it is regulated, it in actuality owes its economic success to religion. Reality is, the notion of capitalism and the American work ethic is owed to Protestants, despite the secular worldview Americans have held in more recent times. Weber argues that the Protestant work ethic provided a foundation for the success of capitalism in the secular sphere of collective society. The “calling” derived such practicality in terms of economics through its individualistic approach to eternal salvation.

In chapter three Weber presents the final drawback between the Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. As previously mentioned, Weber also introduced the idea of a "calling" to worldly pursuits. As he describes in this chapter, Lutheranism has a divinely sanctioned place in the world, but for the first time the question of how well one performed and their role became significant. Conversely, Weber does not consider that belief in a calling is adequate to explain the spirit of capitalism. With this in mind, a calling can adhere to traditionalism since it implies that an individual should assume their position in society without further motiviation to become more. Catholicism after all was the basis for the traditional worldview. As an

The reason that society obtained a rational form of capitalism was through the inner-worldly asceticism of the Protestant ethic. In the advent of the Reformation (The calling) and Calvinism (Predestination), concepts such as the calling and predestination applied reason and brought religious significance to one's work. If the calling is one's particular occupation, then one must work whole-heartedly to attain a state of grace. People are predestined and cannot be brought to their fate by force. They are prepared to do what they have been predestined for. This religious aestheticism left the monasteries to dominate the world. Here, the base of the mode of production is morality (religion). Unlike Catholicism, Protestantism reflects an individuality or loneliness in which the relationship with God is direct and not mediated through a priest. Therefore, each person is on his/her own, and the degradation of the flesh is feared because it indicates that one is not in a state of grace. Capital is no longer accumulated to possess pleasurable delights, but to attain holiness and rigor in one's life. So instead of capital being squandered on life's pleasures, capital could be

The Marxist conception that the material basis of human life is determinant of all other societal spheres, is contingent upon the human creative capacity for production. Perceiving man as “at all events a social animal,” Marx regarded history as the union of the social relations of production and the mode or techniques of production, culminating in the superstructure of society (Capital 444). From his account of history as the succession of “social formations,” characterized by antagonistic class structures and their respective modes of production, Marx interprets economic factors as the primary causal constituents of social life, that money binds human life and society altogether. Max Weber, however, contended that the rise of industrial capitalism could be rationalized by an emphasis on the ideas manifested particularly in the Protestant religion. He underscored the moral values and norms which pervaded Protestant societies and the reciprocal process by which religious ethics are swayed by economic and social catalysts and vice versa. Weber thus fostered a more dynamic conception of modern capitalist society, where ideas, namely the spirit of capitalism, rather than economic preconditions theorized by Marx, were instrumental forces in examining the origin of the capitalist system, how it evolved, and how it manifested itself into its present form.

Martin Luther preached the ability of each individual to interpret the Bible, but sided with aristocratic rulers and against peasants who fought against economic and social oppression. According to Marx, this new form of Christianity, Protestantism, was a production of new economic forces as early capitalism developed. New economic realities required a new religious superstructure by which it could be justified and defended.

Weber’s primary interest seemed to focus on established religions with many followers. Through his text,“Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”, Weber investigated Christianity’s impact on Western ideology and culture (Callaghan 200). Like Marx, Weber believed religion interacted with economics. Yet, he differed from Marx, in that he did not see this as a negative construct. While investigating the development of capitalism in the west, Weber points to the fact that capitalism seemed to emerge in a number of Protestant and Lutheran based countries (Callaghan 201). Furthermore, he points to ideologies in protestant ethics, such as the belief that every day life holds significance to God. Following this notion, Weber believed capitalism was not just about money. Instead, the ideology associated with capitalist efficiency, was that when you work for God, you work hard(Callaghan 201). Still, Weber’s explanations fail to acknowledge the hedonistic aspects of capitalism. As a result, Weber’s sociological approach to the study of religion is perhaps too broad to deliver any real concrete findings.

Capitalism, in its advancements, had led to new criticisms made by Max Webber. He had come to the conclusion that capitalism was a “result of the protestant spirit” (126). Webber believed that religion, particularly Catholicism, had a bigger role in capitalism rather than the status of the economy itself. Regardless of the standing power of ruling countries like Spain, capitalism did not evolve due to the Catholic religion. As stated in Capitalism: a Graphic Guide, “being wealthy was never seen as something to be proud of” (127). Although boasting about wealth was against the Catholic Church, it was endured. Protestants believed otherwise. Protestant values, as well as Catholicism, led Weber to consider justification, or rationalization, as a component rising from capitalism.

Max Weber is a German sociologist, who studied the relation between religion and capitalism in sociology. His theory brings forth many interesting aspects and point of views. Many could argue of religion’s importance to sociology, but Weber informs us of how big of an aspect religion really is.

Karl Marx and Max Weber, were influential social thinkers of the 19th century, having developed many theories in various areas of sociology. One of the areas both Marx and Weber have thoroughly discussed in their essays is origins and development of modern capitalism. Although both theorists agree on the basic elements of modern capitalism, that is, it is a rational process of accumulation of wealth or capital for reinvestment, yet they differ in their ideas concerning how capitalism emerged as it did. According to Weber, religion, especially Protestantism (Calvinism) played a great role in the development of capitalism. However for Marx, capitalism could be compared to other historical modes of production and was based solely on material conditions.

However, the key component of this new religious movement was that God chose who would be saved with the belief that individuals were on earth to glorify and work for God. The phrase ‘Protestant Ethic’ was coined in 1904 by sociologist Max Weber and describes how followers emphasized hard work and diligence as a way to constantly demonstrate their salvation to God (“Max Weber”). The Greek view of a balanced approach to work and leisure was gone. As Cross (1990) explains, ‘the old comforts of community leisure were but a snare in dragging the individual believer down from his isolated path of following Christ’ (p. 26). Cross (1990) further illustrates that ‘leisure was feared both as a lure to sin and a threat to godliness’ (p.27).

    Max Weber’s “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” gives meaning to the center of the capitalist culture. The capitalistic nature of society evolves from the Puritans.The Protestant Ethic was a dominant and established concept within their culture before the labeling of capitalism as an order was put into practice. This ethic found it morally permissible to obtain wealth for God, but not for “flesh and sin” (Weber, pg 435). The obedient Christians would drive for the opportunity to gain profit to fulfill their calling and be a steward for the Lord. Obtaining wealth as a result of “temptation to idleness and sinful enjoyment of life” (Weber, pg 435) and living without careful though was seen negatively, but the acquisition of wealth in the view of performing your duty as a good Christian was encouraged. Not pursuing wealth by not expanding in your talent was seen as disrespectful to God’s glory, principally in the form of begging. By trying to pursue the spiritual goal of wealth, the acetic aspect of the Protestant Ethic allowed individuals to refrain from the pleasures of wealth by reasoning with their calling. The ascetic conduct related to the rational means behind the Puritans acquiring wealth with duty and religion in mind and for the purpose of the calling.

Topic: Is Weber's emphasis on Protestant/Northern European values in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism useful to explain economic disparities between countries in the 21st century?

Religion is a principle social ideology that for some is a stabilizing, conservative force and for others, a catalyst for social change. Prominent sociologists like Max Weber and Karl Marx, have had these differing views in relation to the role religion plays in societal development. Marx and Weber have both developed theories that address the role religion played in the development of capitalism and its subsequent role in social change. For Weber, religion was regarded as a catalyst for economic development. Marx, on the other hand, viewed religion as an underlying force which delayed revolutionary change. These perspectives on religion seemed to form the basis for the theories introduced by both Marx and Weber on the rise and stability of capitalism in Europe. Both Marx and Weber became concerned with capitalism, not just as an economic system, but also as a structure which impacted society as a whole. Marx and Weber sought to explain the development of an economic system in Europe, which seemed to have a connection to religious ideologies, and how it affected society. The objective of this paper is to compare and contrast the perspectives introduced by Marx and Weber on the role of religion in social change. This paper considers that a major theme of Marx’s and Weber’s writing is of the capitalist society. Understanding their thoughts of the capitalist society allowed for an interpretation of their view on religion. Marx saw the economy as the base which determines