Religious Strands in the Capitalist Spirit and in the Western Civilization: Max Weber

Authors

Keywords
Weber, religion, Western Civilization, capitalist spirit

Summary
The author analyzes Max Weber’s approach to religion as part of the German sociologist’s general theoretical task: the analysis of the distinctive features of Western Civilization. In this theoretical perspective the article examines Weber’s approach to the other world religions (in the studies on the economic ethics of world religions) and specifically his comparisons between them and the formation and values of Western civilization. Weber involves religion in seeking the answer to his “network of questions” (R. Bendix); religion appears as the moral component influencing the “worldly” behaviour of individuals as members of a particular status group. The article presents Weber’s interpretation of the great religious systems, which was centred on the status groups of religious leaders; this approach is a challenge to the Marxian interpretation of religion as merely a reflection and product of economic relations in society. One other important element of Weber’s self-reflecting method is also stressed: the fact that he examined religions separately, not as part of an interconnected historical chain and in consecutive order, as Toynbee would later do. The article examines in a critical light the frequent overemphasizing in literature of the role Weber assigned to religion for the birth of the capitalist spirit. The interaction between material factors and interests, and spiritual ideas and incentives characterizes the essence of Weber’s approach to the analysis of social phenomena: the birth and specific features of capitalism and the particularities of Western Civilization.

JEL:
Pages: 20
DOI: 

More titles

  • Organizational Culture and Ethical Values

    Material raises the question of the importance of ethical values and organizational culture that is extremely important status in terms of construction and development of new socio-economic relations in society in a globalized economy XXI v.In modern management science has become view that culture is considered a leading factor in economic ...

  • Demographic-economic Face of Svishtov at the Beginning of Bulgarian Renaissance

    The present paper attempts to outline the demographic and economic outlook of the town of Svishtov from ancient times to the beginning of the Bulgarian Revival. The data throwing light on these issues are relatively scarce and can be found in archaeological excavations in the vicinity of the town, in published historical documents, foreign ...

  • Indicators to Managing High Tech Enterprises

    In the crisis circumstances, technological enterprises can win if they change the way to make successful business. Therefore we think that they give a new meaning the rules for sustainable development. The fetch must be concentrates not only the customers needs. That is one of the possibilities for successful business. Because they change ...