Compare and contrast the theories of Max Weber and Karl Marx when it comes to the analysis of religion.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Max Weber: concluded that capitalism first appeared where the Protestant Reformation had taken hold and that the driving force behind its development was Protestantism’s religious tenets and the economic behaviors they fostered. God places each person on Earth to fulfill a particular “calling.” People could find evidence of God’s plan in a life dedicated to hard work because economic success was an indicator of salvation. Protestantism held that consumption-centered lifestyles were sinful, and believers were expected to live simple lives, work hard, and save and reinvest their earnings rather than enjoy the immediate gratifications of idleness or acquisition. Once capitalism took hold, it became institutionalized and shed the religious ethic that fueled its development. Society becomes an “iron cage,” imprisoning people in “rationalized” but irrational bureaucratic structures, rote work, and lives bereft of spirituality or creativity. Karl Marx: religion serves the interests of the ruling class by providing an outlet for human misery that obscures the true source of suffering among the subordinate classes: their exploitation by the ruling class. Believed once capitalism was overthrown, religion would cease to exist. Secularization: the rise in worldly thinking, particularly as seen in the rise of science, technology, and rational thought and a simultaneous decline in the influence of religion.
KEY: Learning Objective: 13.2: Apply classical and contemporary sociological perspectives to analyze the place of religion in human societies.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Theoretical Perspectives on Religion and Society
Difficulty Level: Hard