Weberism and religion Flashcards
What type of theory does Weberism believe about religion
Social change
What does weber overall believe about religion
he believes that religious beliefs of calvinism helped to bring to major social change
Define calvinism
a form of protestantism sounded by John Calvin during the reformation
What does he argue about capitalism, and what does he call it
Pre capitalism had a sense of greed for wealth and consumption, but modern capitalism is more systematic and of rational pursuit.
- He calls it the spirit of capitalism
What are the 4 calvinist beliefs
- Predestination
- Divine transcendence
- Asceticism
- The idea of a vocation or calling
- Predestination
- What does this mean
WHAT: God has predetermined souls ‘ the elect’ who can’t do anything to change their position
- Divine transcendence
- What does this mean
- What does salvation panic mean
WHAT: God is so far above everyone, that nobody is able to know his will which leaves calvinists to feel an inner loneliness
SALVATION PANIC: The combination of the doctrine of predestination and the unprecedented feelings of inner loneliness. They do now know if they are chosen or not
- Asceticism
- What does this mean
A life of abstinence and self discipline, refraining from luxury to devote themselves to god.
- Idea of vocation or calling
- What dose religious vocation mean
- How was this done / define ‘other worldly asceticism’
- What is this worldly asceticism
- What did this cause
RELIGIOUS VOCATION: A calling to serve god
HOW: It was done everyday through joining a convent or monastery
THIS WORLDLY ASCETICISM: The calvinists only know parts of gods plan by its depiction in the bible and because they were put on earth to fulfil gods name = us doing constant work in an occupation and an ascetic lifestyle
CAUSE: A lifestyle of prospering wealth and belief of it being god favour, contradicting the divine transcendence
Hinduism and confucianism
- How does Weber conflict himself
- Give an example of this
- Why does he argue this happened
- Explain this theory in India
CONFLICT: There have been other societies that have had a higher economic development, but still failed to develop in modern capitalism in the. 16th and 17 century
EXAMPLE: China and India, which were materially developed but capitalism didn’t take off there
WHY: Lack of religious belief system like Calvinism
INDIA: Hinduism was an ascetic religion favouring renunciation, BUT, its orientation was other worldly - directing its followers concerns away from the material world toward the spiritual.
Evaluation - Kautsky - R.H. Tawney - Other countries How do other Weberians try to explain this
KAUTSKY: Weber overestimates the role. of ideas and underestimates economic factors in bringing capitalism.
TAWNEY: technological change caused the birth of capitalism, not religious ideas. Only after capitalism was established that the bourgeoisie adopted calvinist beliefs to legitimate their pursuit of economic gain.
OTHER COUNTRIES: Other countries with Calvinist beliefs like Scotland didn’t experience the same development in Capitalism
WEBERIANS; MARSHALL; this was because of a lack of investment capital and skilled labour
