weber, 'protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism' question
Here are some questions as you are reading the reading assigned for next week:
1.) One of the central controversies around this text has to do with the way that Weber engages Marx. What aspects of his inquiry are idealist and which are materialist?
2.) Weber notes that capitalism existed in other societies, but that "something was missing." What might that have been?
3.) What's the relationship between capitalism and tradition, labor and 'calling'?
4.) What were Calvin and Luther's contributions to Protestantism and how do they relate to the themes of the book?
5.) How do these spiritual differences lead to "differences in conduct" between Catholicism and Protestantism?
6.) What kind of labor is a part of God's calling, and what of accumulation and possessions? (Chapter Five)
7.) Think about the last metaphor used in the book. How does it related to his version of modern progress?
1.) One of the central controversies around this text has to do with the way that Weber engages Marx. What aspects of his inquiry are idealist and which are materialist?
2.) Weber notes that capitalism existed in other societies, but that "something was missing." What might that have been?
3.) What's the relationship between capitalism and tradition, labor and 'calling'?
4.) What were Calvin and Luther's contributions to Protestantism and how do they relate to the themes of the book?
5.) How do these spiritual differences lead to "differences in conduct" between Catholicism and Protestantism?
6.) What kind of labor is a part of God's calling, and what of accumulation and possessions? (Chapter Five)
7.) Think about the last metaphor used in the book. How does it related to his version of modern progress?
posted by { jw } at 11:48 AM
1 Comments:
I think that the reason the Protestant "calling" was a very pure form of hard work lies in the fact that the Reformation ocurred to get away from the power the Catholic church had over individuals. In Catholic doctrine you are supposed to do what the Church tells you to do and confess your sins and accept your lot in life because if you simply believe in and fear God you'll be rewarded in another life. After a while that might start to seem like a pretty bad deal, especially if you're poor, so you can see the appeal of a doctrine that says (basically) the better you do in this world, the more likely you are to go to Heaven. Work hard and succeed because if you don't then you certainly will go to hell. Protestants doing this aren't really interested in moving up an economic ladder; they're interested in doing what God wants them to do. Catholics don't really believe that being extremely frugal and hard working has anything to do with their chances of getting into heaven, and that's part of the reason they do not spend every minute of their lives trying to do so. At least that's what Weber is saying, I think.
But (Joellat), unless your catholic friends want to move up purely because hard work is what God has called them to do, there probably is a difference between their desire to succeed and the "protestant ethic." Wanting more money to have a nicer house and a car is very different from constantly working at moving up economically (while not taking advantage of your material wealth)just to prove you are achieving God's will on earth.
Post a Comment
<< Home