Paragraph 2 for the question Applying material from item B and your knowledge, evaluate the extent to which religious belief can be a force of social change

Question 1

What is the point?

Answer 1

Another way religion can be a force of social change is through what is known as the spirit of capitalism?

Question 2

What is the explain?

Answer 2

This means that Religion has the power to change society shaping capitalism,

Question 3

What is the evidence?

Answer 3

This is shown through Weber’s study, they had 4 beliefs which allowed modern capitalism to develop in Northern Europe e.g. Asceticism lead to Calvinists working hard to accumulate wealth.

Question 4

What is the analysis?

Answer 4

Significant because it encouraged the spirit of Capitalism with a set of new ideas and ethics.

Question 5

What is the Evaluation?

Answer 5

Hinduism was an aestic religion like Calvinism, favoring the material world, but it was other- worldly, meaning they were focused on the spiritual world not material, so they lacked the drive to systematically accumulate wealth necessary for modern capitalism.

Question 6

What is another evaluation including a sociologist?

Answer 6

Kautsky - Weber overestimates the role of ideas and underestimates economic factors in bringing capitalism into being. Capitalism actually actually came before rather than after Calvinism.