Sociology 2240E Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Traditional Authority, Charismatic Authority, Puritans
22 Dec 2020
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Conflict & analysis: the legacy of max weber. The protestant ethic & the spirit of capitalism: magic vs. rational action. 3 types of political authority: traditional, charismatic, rational/legal (bureaucracy) How ideas can be applied to contemporary situations. The protestant ethic & the spirit of capitalism. Economy (capitalist economy) is very important in society & influences individual decisions. Examines why capitalism developed in north europe & north america. Argues that protestant religion is compatible with capitalism. Protestantism (calvinism) provides preconditions for rational economic behavior. Protestant faith based on puritan asceticism (practice of self-denial, self-control, delayed gratification for salvation) encourages hard work, frugality & individual responsibility. Protestant ethic provides the justification of money making as part of religious calling. They worked long hours for the glory of god. Money saved & invested, not spent: required capital for investment, required a hard-working work force, values productivity (efficiency of production) History of religion has unintentional & paradoxical effects.
