From God to Godless Economics!

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Politics Chatboard

From God to Godless Economics!

by T.E.C. - Iowa

Mar 13, 2018

I just finished "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism"(1905) by Max Weber (1864-1920), and it is amazing that the work ethic needed to make capitalism dominate economics started with the Calvinist, or as we know it, the Puritan work ethic. What starts out being done for the "Glory of God" has ended up as today's capitalism which is devoid of God, devoid of a sense of right and wrong, and has no sense of guilt over destroying the lives of others - or destroying the planet.

This is how Weber makes the connection:

(Quote)

Waste of time is thus the first and in principle the deadliest of sins. The span of human life is infinitely short and precious to make sure of one's own election (to heaven). Loss of time through sociability, idle talk, luxury, even more sleep than is necessary for health, six to at most eight hours, is worthy of absolute moral condemnation. It does not yet hold, with Franklin, that time is money, but the proposition is true in a ...See MoreI just finished "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism"(1905) by Max Weber (1864-1920), and it is amazing that the work ethic needed to make capitalism dominate economics started with the Calvinist, or as we know it, the Puritan work ethic. What starts out being done for the "Glory of God" has ended up as today's capitalism which is devoid of God, devoid of a sense of right and wrong, and has no sense of guilt over destroying the lives of others - or destroying the planet.

This is how Weber makes the connection:

(Quote)

Waste of time is thus the first and in principle the deadliest of sins. The span of human life is infinitely short and precious to make sure of one's own election (to heaven). Loss of time through sociability, idle talk, luxury, even more sleep than is necessary for health, six to at most eight hours, is worthy of absolute moral condemnation. It does not yet hold, with Franklin, that time is money, but the proposition is true in a certain spiritual sense. It is infinitely valuable because every hour lost is lost to labour for the glory of God. Thus inactive contemplation is also valueless, or even directly reprehensible if it is at the expense of one's daily work. For it is less pleasing to God than the active performance of His will in a "calling." Besides, Sunday is provided for that, and, according to Baxter, it is always those who are not diligent in their "callings" who have no time for God when the occasion demands it.

(End quote)

My emphasis on the word "calling", we have all heard people say things like teaching or nursing is "my calling." This is, of course, directly from religious calling, and if God has called you, you have better do the best you can for fear of damnation. The capitalists took full advantage of this!

In today's world, this has morphed into "God has a plan for . . . well, everyone!" Frankly, aside from removing free will, the world offers no evidence of this. For those who disagree I offer the story of Rabbi Harold Kushner. His son was born with Progeria (where you age and die, of old age, at about 13). People in his synagogue would say, "Well, God has a plan for your son!" The Rabbi found this so absurd he wrote the book "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People!" It is a good read.

Yet, I am still amazed at the role of religion in capitalism, and its current absence.

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