Max Weber in chapter two of his book, The Protestant Ethic writes about the idea of a so call economic survival of the fittest. This notion along with the use of the citing of Benjamin Franklin’s holding of “time is money” struck me as particularly relatable. He speaks to this ethos of capitalism and how money brings about more money and that to wealth should be acquired at all necessary times. Laziness should be avoided at all times as that time could be used being put forth towards economic growth. This idea of economic survival of the fittest is not simply applicable to just economics but it can also be translated to all aspects of life including social life, political behavior, values, and choices. Expanding on my belief in the notion …show more content…
To be leisurely is to be lazy; something I disapprove of as does Weber. When someone is lazy, they are giving up the opportunity to achieve something. Furthermore, during that time that they are being lazy, someone else is growing economically, educationally, or in some other way while that person is actually falling behind. This is why I avoid laziness as much as possible spending as much time either on school work obtaining knowledge, in the gym obtaining a better and healthier self, or at work becoming a better employee. All of these activities yield the possibility for more growth …show more content…
An example that I have been a part of is my dad actually losing money over the course of the year after getting a raise because he jumped into a higher tax bracket. To me, this seems counterintuitive because it is actually encouraging him to not work as hard so he does not get a raise. Additionally, it is encouraging someone to be lazy because they will not have to pay as high of tax rate. Furthermore, I do not agree with the idea of giving tax breaks to the rich because they will invest that into companies which will high more people. Otherwise, known as the trickle-down effect. Although it does encourage people to work hard and achieve that level, it does not work and only makes them richer. It also does not provide for a cohesive society as we see today with the one percenters versus the ninety nine other
From an economical standpoint, the Protestant Reformation greatly influenced the modern world. For example, the Protestant Reformation took advantage of the recently invented printing press. It helped to spread the use of vernacular and ideas, improved literacy, and increased nationalism. As a result, the amount of books and knowledge available skyrocketed. In 1500, there were 40000 books where in 1600 there were over 200 million.
Martin Luther and Jean Calvin were the two of the most influential reformers during the Protestant Reformation. Luther began the Protestant Reformation by nailing his 95 Theses to the Wittenberg Chapel in 1517 in response to the corruption and abuses of the Catholic Church. In Switzerland, Calvin also had new ideas about religion, the main being predestination (the belief that people's fates (whether they go to Heaven or Hell) are predetermined when they are born). Their reforms and ideas definitely laid the foundation for capitalism, free government/democracy, religious tolerance, and individualism, but I do not believe that the reformers (people like Luther and Calvin) had the direct intention of doing these things.
Discuss the political and social consequences of the Protestant Reformation in the first half of the sixteenth century.
There were many different complaints outlined by the Protestant Reformation. These complaints were addressed by the Catholic Church in many different ways.
However, there are also some drawbacks associated with raising taxes. Tax is a form of leakage from the circular flow of income leading to negative multiplier effect. If the government increases income tax rates, it might create disincentives to work. It is because when income tax increases, the opportunity cost for leisure time decreases; and people will have to work longer
Martin Luther’s protests against the Catholic Church led to the Protestant religion. This led to Calvinism and eventually to Puritanism. King James I feared the Puritans would cause political problems and wanted to drive them out of England.
The Protestant Reformation was a major 16th century European movement aimed initially at reforming the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. The Reformation in western and central Europe officially began in 1517 with Martin Luther and his 95 Theses. This was a debate over the Christian religion. At the time there was a difference in power. Roman Catholicism stands with the Pope as central and appointed by God. Luther’s arguments referred to a direct relationship with God and using the local vernacular to speak to the people. Luther’s arguments remove the absolute power from the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church in general. The revenue from the taxes paid to the Church would be reduced with Luther’s ideas, in part because of
The first source I chose to assess was the 'Swiss Gothic Iron Chamber Clock, 1600's' the mechanics of the clock is still a very important attribute to modern European history; although it is dated 200 years before what can be perceived to be its relevance in a sociological sense,it can be considered vital in explaining the key concept, which is modernity; particularly caged and chambered clocks.The source represents a seismic shift in the pre- modern world becoming 'disenchanted' from religion and 'being as morally true and right'1 this can be seen actively in the religious sects such as Quakerism in the 16th century believing that they were ' part of the true (Christian Church)'2 in the ways the acted and lived their lives .The 16th and 17th century saw the emergence of the Protestant
To properly label a Christian an evangelical Protestant, one must ask four basic questions and receive an answer that as a whole, evangelical Protestants accept as “correct”. The questions are: “[W]hat must a person do to be saved?[, W]here does religious authority lie?[, W]hat is the church?[,] and [W]hat is the essence of Christian living?” (“Evangelicalism”, Dictionary of Christianity in America) Through answering and receiving the “correct” responses, one should be able to define an evangelical Protestant.
What happens when people start to break away from the entity that bound an entire civilization together for over a thousand years? How does one go from unparalleled devotion to God to the exploration of what man could do? From absolute acceptance to intense scrutiny? Sheeple to independent thinkers? Like all revolutions preceding it, the Protestant Reformation did not happen overnight. Catholics had begun to lose faith in the once infallible Church ever since the Great Schism, when there were two popes, each declaring that the other was the antichrist. Two things in particular can be identified as the final catalyst: a new philosophy and simple disgust. The expanding influence of humanism and the corruption of the Catholic Church led
The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century is one of the most complex movements in European history since the fall of the Roman Empire. The Reformation truly ends the Middle Ages and begins a new era in the history of Western Civilization. The Reformation ended the religious unity of Europe and ushered in 150 years of religious warfare. By the time the conflicts had ended, the political and social geography in the west had fundamentally changed. The Reformation would have been revolutionary enough of itself, but it coincided in time with the opening of the Western Hemisphere to the Europeans and the development of firearms as effective field weapons. It coincided, too, with the
Leisure time is something that hunter and gatherers are lavish in. They only work for a few hours a day for about three days a week and the rest of the time is for other social activities. Agriculturists must work all the time tending their crops and working in their specialties. They must also feed their work animals and tend to their large family of children so they can have more farm hands. Hunter and gatherers have a low child to adult ratio which keeps leisure time higher and less produce they must gather to feed the minute
The intent of this paper is to evaluate the distinct character and quality of the expressions of the Protestant Reformation. This paper will discuss Lutheran Reformation, The Anabaptist, and The English Puritans as well as the Catholic Reformation also known as the Counter Reformation. It is the hope that after the reader has had the opportunity to view each of the characteristics and the expressions of each of the reformation the reader will have a better understanding of each and will be able to articulate the differences of each.
Benjamin Franklin is considered one of the most realistic and wisest men in the history of America. He is known for his stand on the necessity for the individual to work hard and to be frugal in order to reach success. In the presented essay, “The Way to Wealth”, he makes mention of various aphorisms and pieces of advice which express his views and opinions about morals, ethics, life, taxes, debts, etc. Among those pieces of advice that he offers his audience, we find the phrase “employ thy time well if thou meanest to gain leisure; and, since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour.” Although much of his work is devoted to the importance of industry and of frugality, here Franklin discusses the difference between being lazy and having leisure. He places emphasis on how without working hard and in a conscious way, the individual will never be able to have time for pastimes or leisure. Instead of viewing laziness and fun as the ultimate goal an individual must aim for, Franklin advices about using the time in a profitable way. To him, labor brings more comfort than idleness or laziness, as when the individual is idle or bored, he manages to commit mischief. Moreover, it is his belief that one cannot just be in a useless position the whole time, lest poverty and necessity strike. Therefore, Franklin argues, it is important to find useful things to do with one’s time, but things that bring enjoyment, in order for one to work hard at them. Once the
The first picture shows a church that is full of paintings and sculptures, this is a photo of the Catholic Church. In the Catholic Church they worshiped relics and used many statues and other pieces of art. Along with the use of relics, the Catholic Church used the bible to teach and preach about God, whereas the protestant Church did not. The second picture is of a church that is mostly empty, this shows the protestant church, because they did not use relics and they focused on their relations with god.