Soc 305 Exam #1- Weber
early life (weber)
extremely strict father dedicates much of his life to finding out where this rational social attitude comes from
iron cage
has multiple translations, translation affects what it means socially inc rationalization traps individuals in a system based on efficiency, rational calculation, control different translations of words crate different societal meanings. "disenchantment of world" in modernity
Connection between ideas and modern rational capitalism
ideas are one explanation among many and are an important one relatively autonomous factor that cannot be reduced by anything else
puritanism
initiative provides meaning from rational-legal aquisition
calvinism
predestination; saved v unsaved
asceticism
self discipline unique to capitalism
protestant ethic
taking work as an end in itself
calling (work in a calling)
to give daily life religious meaning lutheran idea work in a task set by God; work an end in itself
instrumental rationality
what is the best way to pursue these values Unique thing about capitalism is spread of an instrumental rational mindset
Value rationality
what moral values should we follow ie taxes- democrat v republican- helping city vs stealing money
spirit of capitalism
work is an end in itself; prosperity is a sign of moral worthiness; necessity of living methodically organized life; immediate happiness is deserted for later rewards
puritans and sports
"...The fanatic opposition of the Puritans to the king's decree- on sundays, certain popular amusements would be legally allowed after church services- arose NOT only on account of the resulting ..." (finish) "Actually Puritans aversion to sports was not a fundamental one...sports must serve a rational end....promote relaxation indispensable for further physical achievement....absolutely reprehensible to the extent that they became means toward pure enjoyment or awakened competitive ambition, raw instincts, or the irrational desire to gamble" (166-7) Why did puritans hate sports? --People might enjoy it, so that contradicts the type of lifestyle they are trying to advance --Sports is fine if you do not enjoy it, if it is instrumentalized for a productive purpose ----I.e. kids can do karate per their parent's instructions in order to be more disciplined and more productive
when do charismatic figures appear
"No one any longer knows ... whether entirely new prophets or a mighty rebirth of ancient ideas and ideals will stand at the end of this monumental development" Difference between world historical individuals (Hegel): WH indivs do not mean to change history and only pursue self interests; Calvin/Luther DO strive to change history but not in the way they did (not capitalists) --Certain alignment between the two concepts, Luther not particularly aware of the historical role he played
Where do we go from here?
"No one any longer knows who will live in this casing and whether entirely new prophets or a mighty rebirth of ancient ideas and ideals will stand at the end of this monumental development" *Two possible historical trajectories:* 1. Steel hard casing will stay, people will live in it and we will continue to see a hardened reality of institutional rationalization and the capitalist mindset 2. Entirely new prophets of ancient ideas will suddenly occur and will break the steel hard casing —> social change as a result "Or, however, if neither, whether a mechanized ossification, embellished with a sort of rigidity compelled sense of self-importance, will arise." "Then, indeed of ossification appreard, the saying might ebt rue for the "last humans in this long civilizational development: 'narrow specialists without minds, pleasure-seekers without heart; in its conceit this nothingness imagines it has climbed to a level of humanity never before attained" (177-8)
Luther's traditionalism
"The authority of the Bible, from which Luther believed he took the idea of calling, actually generally favored economic traditionalism. Every believer must stay at his livelihood and leave the godless to strive for gain. Luther upheld economic traditionalism... the striving for material gain that goes beyond one's own needs, Luther argued, must be a symptom of one's lack of grace" (102-3)
"a steel hard casing"
"This cosmos today determined the style of life NOT only of those directly engaged in economically productive activity but of all born into this grinding mechanism. It does so with overwhelming force, and perhaps it will continue to do so until the last ton of fossil fuel has burnt to ashes The concern for material goods, according to Baxter, should lie on the shoulders of his saints like 'a lightweight coat that one can throw off at any time' . Yet fate allowed this coat to become a steel hard casing. To the extent that asceticism undertook to transform and influence the world, the world's material goods acquired an inc and, in the end, inescapable power over people- as never before in history" (177) *What is impact of spirit of capitalism?* --Affects EVERYONE and it is inescapable --Affects all people born into this mindset *Development of the spirit is a historical accident* --Richard baxter thought of this rational conduct idea as a lightweight coat but today it has been institutionalized (a steel hard casing or iron cage) --Controls even secular life *Ultimately this leads to complete subjection of people to economic production*
Reformation and capitalism
"We are in the end asking a question: which characteristic features of our modern life and culture should be attributed to the influence of the Reformation?" (108) Weber does not say Reformation determines capitalism "In asking this questions we must of course emancipate ourselves from the point of view that the Reformation can be 'deduced' from economic transformations as a 'developmental-historical' necessity (108) *108-109 are important pages* "On the other hand, we shall not defend here two foolish and doctrinaire theses in any form': 1.That the capitalist spirit could have originated only as an expression of certain influences of the Reformation, and 2.That capitalism as an economic system was a creation of the reformation (108)
Elective affinities
"We will first investigate whether (and in what ways) specific "elective affinities" between certain forms of religious belief and a vocational ethic are discernible (109) --Interconnected --When you look at the SOP, you can find within it structuring features of protestantism --Protestantism is a necessary, though insufficient element in the transition to capitalism "In asking this question, we must of course emancipate ourselves from the point of view that the Reformation can be 'deduced' from economic transformations as a 'developmental-historical' necessity Beruf: --Idea of Beruf- a historical vehicle for the rise of the spirit of capitalism --No distinction between calling and profession in German --Identifying profession as a calling was Luther's most important achievement Ascetic protestantism
Weber's rejected alternative explanations
*modernization/secularization*: protestantism is a situation on the road to catholicism and secularism --Occurs with abandonment of traditional authority --Weber argues that this is a misreading of Protestantism --"Reformation... not only involved the elimination of the Catholic Church's domination over the believer's life in its entirety, but also the substitution of one form of control by another" (p. 68) *Protestantism as the doctrine of the rich* --You first become rich then move to protestantism bc the religion legitimizes being rich- catholic religion is more suspicious of "greedy capitalists" --"Catholic parents in Baden and Bavaria, as well as in Hungary, for example, enroll their children in different types of programs than and curricula from those chosen by Protestant parents" (69) --Catholic journeymen demonstrate a much stronger inclination to remain in their crafts and thus more often become master craftsmen. In constrast, protestants stream into the factor at a comparatively higher rate and then acquire positions as high-level skilled workers and industrial managers (p. 70) *protestantism is materialistic* --Focus on enjoying this life in protestantism --"Precisely the opposite of a natural and uncomplicated 'enjoyment of life's pleasures' characterized the English, Dutch, and American puritans" (71) *Demographic explanations* Weber: look at places where catholics are minority (ie germany) and they are not trying to over represent themselves
Main thesis: "inner affinity" between specific forms of ascetic protestantism and the spirit of capitalism
1.Ascetic protestantism is NOT produced by capitalism 2. Ascetic protestantism shapes a PERSONALITY STRUCTURE, a life conduct, that is characteristic of modern capitalism 3. Ascetic protestantism is NOT an ideology in the Marxist sense; it is an independent factor in the production of capitalism
Spirit of Capitalism
An orientation toward economic activity Taking acquisition, work as an end in itself Not enjoying/decadence/indulgence Not greed/profiteering/speculation/loans Not capitalist structures- relations of production, factories *Rather: methodical, continuous, planned, and calculable pursuit of acquisition and profit*
Innovation of "beruf"
Catholicism (aquinas): --No inherent value to work --Otherworldliness Monasticism: --Otherworldly asceticism Luther sanctifies the day to day of working life
Connection between the rational ethic is ascetic Protestantism and the emergence of a "manner of life" specific to modern capitalism (aka "the spirit of capitalism")
Correlation- ascetic protestantism was one thing that ultimately led to this development of the spirit of capitalism The matter/way of life is something that makes UP capitalism Marx: spirit of capitalism emerges from material conditions in capitalism
what drives history
Doesn't really have a theory People who articulate ideas have autonomous weight in history Idea of historical accidents (ie Hitler is born), some individuals appear and ppl conceive them as having unique qualities (charisma), gained followers and can impact history *Relatively independent role of ideas*
Economic traditionalism
Economic activity as a means to another end Pace of work based on tradition --We have entrepreneurs who have no interest in changing the forces of production Structural relations may be capitalist, but attitudes are not
What are the historical determinents of the mindset of instrumental rationality
Elective affinity- finding parts of one thing in something else, connecting things together *Does NOT argue that capitalism is the outcome of protestant ideas Not all protestants believe in capitalism* --"This study has attempted..merely to trace ascetic Protestantism's influence, and the particular nature of this influence.. Nevertheless, of course it CANNOT be the intention here to set a one-sided religion-oriented analysis of the causes of culture and history in place of an equally one-sided 'materialistic' analysis. BOTH ARE EQUALLY POSSIBLE" *Beruf (Luther idea)* --Work becomes a religious calling- God WANTS you to work in a specific field --Not enough for development of spirit of capitalism bc it is conservative *Predestination (calvinist)* --Predetermined who is saved and damned --Working hard was a sign to others that you were saved --Harmful psychology of predestination- people might give up if they think they are dammed
predestination
God determines in advance who is saved and dammed performing good work is a sign you are saved (working hard) systemization of behavior
How to break from traditionalism?
Ideas that end up making a certain life conduct sacred/legitimate E.x. the elimination of magic from the world --Magic: instrumental, not systematic --Eliminating it facilitates a new type of conduct
The peculiar, distinctive characteristic of modern capitalism for Weber?
Its ascetic character Ascetic: characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.
Calvinism
NOT capitalism. If at all- suspicious of wealth Extensive discussions on salvation PREDESTINATION (nothing people can do to change their destiny after life) --Logical reaction --Actual, psychological reaction We can see worldliness of work
"A Steel-Hard Casing"
Originally in the form of the 'iron cage' Value rationality and instrumental rationality Origins can be traced to religious thinking aka ethical thinking P 177- puritan wanted to be a person w vocational calling. Today we must be *FINISH*
Beginning of argument: (Weber)
People who own capital, employers, more highly educated skilled workers, and more highly trained technical and business personnel in modern companies tend to be, with striking frequency, overwhelmingly, Protestant- p. 67 Weber: ascetic protestantism leads to spirit of capitalism
Instituionalization
Rational conduct acquires a life of its own: "The puritan WANTED to be a person with a vocation calling; we MUST be. For the extent that asceticism moved out of the monastic cell and was carried over into the life of work in a vocational calling, and then commenced to rule over this-worldly mortality, it helped to do its part to build the mighty cosmos of the modern economic order.. Not about what we WANT anymore; this mindset dominates us in the sense that we believe we MUST work.
Benjamin Franklin
Remember that time is money. He that can earn ten shillings a day by his labour, and goes abroad, or sits idle on half of that day, though he spends by sixpence during his diversion or idleness, ought not to reckon THAT the only expense; he has really spent or rather thrown away five shillings besides... --Expenses also include money that was not made due to rest (ie lost 5 shillngs bc he did not work half the day) Remember, that credit is money. If a man lets his money lie in my hands after it is due, he gives me the interest, or so much as I can make of it during that time. This amounts to a considerable sum Remember, that money is of the prolific, generating nature. Money can beget money, and its offspring can beget more (p 77) Doesnt talk abt religion Writes in a pre-capitalist society Shows a case where spirit exists and capitalism does not, and an instance where spirit exists without a direct connection to religion
Ascetic Protestantism leads to Spirit of Capitalism
Show that spirit of capitalism is not determined by capitalism (ex Marx) --Discover a case where the spirit of capitalism exists but capitalism does not --Discover a case where capitalism exists, but the "spirit" does not Show that the spirit of capitalism is not identical to the protestant ethic (tautology) --Discover a case where the spirit of capitalism exists, but it is not directly connected to religion
Weber's theory of history
Think of society as totality History is a logical process with predictions and social determinant History, in a way, is senseless; we do not see a particular progression towards freedom Institutionalization --When ideas are accepted by more people they become regular/institutionalized
Durkheim v Marx: Difference
Weber: autonomy of ideas Marx: ideas are rooted in social circumstances ideas can have a causal impact on society without being an outcome of social structure class relations, state formation, ideas, and other untheorized aspects ALL affect the outcome of reality Marx: dialectical relation between the different parts of history (triumph over natural limits at the same time we become more dependent on social relations) Durkheim: relation of functionality, evolutionary view of history EFRL: ideas reinforce social structures; social structure/consciousness reinforce and reflect each other/develop together DOL: engine of social change; social need different parts don't develp at the same rate (EX DOL) Marx: need to overcome contradiction between FOP and ROP; establish communism Durkheim: task is looking for a reform
What is "the spirit of capitalism"
Working as an end in itself, pursuit of work *An orientation, a mind-set, a form of self-conduct that guides people in their economic activities* Rational, methodical, disciplined Work for the purpose of work When i make money I invest to make more money, money is not for spending on things Why should we care? Reveals a mindset that focuses on *INSTRUMENTAL RATIONALITY*
capitalist spirit
an orientation toward economic activity
Durkheim v Marx: Similarities
both are theorists of totalities (society as a whole, comprised of different parts that relate to each other) both have a progressive view of history Durkheim: linear Marx: dialectic (curved)
Who formulates ideas
christian authorities
elective affinity
connection between religious belif/vocational ethic elements one thing can be found within another (ie Protestantism and capitalism) (correlation does not equal causation)