Reformations & the Protestant Work Ethic (1500s -1700s)

A note on Reformations

Renaissance: Intellectual

Protestant: Spiritual & Individualism

English: Political

The Renaissance:(1490s – 1700s)

Birth of Humanism Ability of the human mind

Time of re-thinking Mysticism to rationalism

Universities emerge Liberalism Dissent Threat to Roman Catholisism

Printing Press

The Renaissance: (1490s – 1700s)

Intellectual Reformation

Rediscovery of Greek Classics

Aristotle (384 -322 BCE) Test for knowledge

logicEarth SciencesClassificationDissection

The Renaissance: Birth of ScienceRadical Idea: Search for answers in nature (laws) Nature made perfect by “Man” [sic]

Legitimizes secular authority

Medical advances Hands on experiments Increased population

The Renaissance: Birth of ScienceRadical Idea: Search for answers in nature (laws) Nature made perfect by “Man” [sic]

Legitimizes secular authority

Medical advances Hands on experiments Increased population

Renaissance & Reason

The Prince – Machiavelli (1513)

Reason becomes understood in terms of calculation*

Virtue becomes the deeds men must do..

““rich treasury rich treasury & poor citizens”& poor citizens”

Gallileo (1563-1643)

Challenged Aristotle's essence of objects & world

Trial 1633 Scholasticism Aquinas work...Scholastic philosophy was written by and

for the clergy who dominated European universities

The Renaissance: Birth of ScienceRadical Idea: Search for answers in nature (laws) Nature made perfect by “Man” [sic]

Legitimizes secular authority

Medical advances Hands on experiments Increased population

Protestant Reformation

Martin Luther (1483 – 1546)• Holy Roman Empire

• Germany• Coal mining community• Late Industrialization

Professor of TheologyMonkLegal Scholar

The Protestant Reformation

1517 – The 95 Theses

Castle Church, Wittenberg Protestant Reformation Affirmed secular

authority Questions wealth of

church vs. poor

English Reformation

Protestant Work Ethic: Abstinence Rewards in afterlife (salvation)

Work hard, save, moderate consumption, belief

Success indicates “Gods blessing”

Weber: Critique of Work Ethic

Individualism w/emphasis on labor and success benefits capitalism

Ideal laborersMiddle ClassPoverty = individual

flaw state not responsible