Weber - Protestant Ethic Flashcards
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
what fills gap when religious ethic has weakened so severly
knows that when Weber wrote, he was making circumscribed, limited argument
no sweeping statement: in 1500-1600 protestant ethic in certain countries at the beginning
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
lived on until early 20th century restraint on consumption work is valued in itself importance of being serious in work importance of being frugal – not spending recklessly importance of sexual restraint importance of asceticism ascetic – self-restraint, does not give into impulse, self denial + discipline, fears pressure
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
Rural and small-town America
Mentality persisten in america + british canada till 20th century
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
Elite change in the early 20th century
Started to embrace hedonism
Giving pride of place to instinct
Nothing wrong with following instinct
Happiness depends on self expression of intuitions, feelings, instincts, not holding back
Self control creates damage to emotional selves
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
Release of instinct
Did not happen in small town/massive america
Amongst elites - Artists, intellectuals, literature, certain segments of wealthy
Change is still in margins of society
Limited to small fraction of america
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
Mass marketing follows from the 1920s on
4 processes that helped change of values
New Techs created that made everyday tasks easier
Automobile, washing machine, refrigerator, vacuum
Introduction of mass production – possible to put new tech at hands of masses
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
Advertising: creates appetite for something
Producers create appetites for product their creating through insecurities, need to fit it
Installment Buying: credit, little bit per month, easier for ppl to acquire goods
Overcame old protestant fear of falling into debt
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
Asceticism vs. hedonism
Hedonism: pursuit of pleasure as a way of life
Belief that to be emotionally restrained is an impediment to happiness
Go with your feelings
Instead of avoid being ostentatious, or being modest
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
Show off, prove who you are by showing what you can acquire
Man displayed character by quality of his work
Standing redefined to ability to get status
By 1950s american culture had been primarily hedonistic: play, fun, display, pressure in a compulsive way
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
2 diff ethics
Work well done
Values status
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
A dwindling of morality: nothing is sacred, America is losing its bearings
Bell is arguing that decline in protestant ethic has created a vaccum of morality
Vaccum created means that americans are finding it hard to find questions to answers that religion used to provide
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
Human limits + conditions
Problem of suffering, illness, old age, death, injustice
One of the attractions of religion was answering these questions
How can ppl cope with this limits without religion
Result is reduced capacity to cope these issues
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
Protestant Ethic - Bell thinks about type of character that makes excellent worker for the capitalist
Capitalism encouraging hedonistic character starting 1920s, precise opposite traits of a good work
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
Kind of character that makes a good consumer, also makes an irresponsible worker
Americans lost resource to cope with life’s challenges
American capitalism has shot itself in the foot – foster cravings consumers, make bad workers
Daniel Bell, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
Cultural conservative: believe there are traditions of value in the past that we ignore in peril
Liberal in politics: multi party democracies, freedom of association
Socialist in Economics
