Inner-worldly asceticism was characterized by

Max Weber Maximilian Karl Emil Weber (; ; 21 April 186414 June 1920) was a German sociologist, historian, jurist and political economist, who is regarded as among the most important theorists of the development of modern Western society. His ideas profo ...

in '' Economy and Society'' as the concentration of human behavior upon activities leading to salvation within the context of the everyday world. He saw it as a prime influence in the emergence of

modernity Modernity, a topic in the humanities and social sciences, is both a historical period (the modern era) and the ensemble of particular socio-cultural norm (social), norms, attitudes and practices that arose in the wake of the Renaissancein the " ...

and the technological world, a point developed in '' The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism''.

Four-fold typology

Weber's typology of religion set off the distinction between asceticism and

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...

against that between inner-worldly and other-worldly orientations, to produce a four-fold set of religious types.Pawel Stefan Zaleski "Ideal Types in Max Weber’s Sociology of Religion: Some Theoretical Inspirations for a Study of the Religious Field", ''Polish Sociological Review'' No. 3(171)/2010 According to Talcott Parsons, otherworldly stances provided no leverage upon socio-economic problems, and inner-worldly mystics attached no significance to the material world surrounding them, the inner-worldly ascetic acted within the institutions of the world, while being opposed to them, and as an instrument of God. However Stefan Zaleski showed that inner-worldly mysticism that is magic was interested in active transformation of reality. In religions which can be characterized by inner-world-asceticim, the world appears to the religious virtuoso as his responsibility.Weber, Max. "Asceticism, Mysticism and Salvation." In ''Economy and society; an outline of interpretive sociology''.. New York: Bedminster Press, 1968. 542.

Rationalism

For Weber, the worldly ascetic is a rationalist. He rationalizes his own conduct but also rejects conduct which is specifically irrational, esthetic, or dependent upon his own emotional reactions to the world.Weber, Max. "Asceticism, Mysticism and Salvation." In ''Economy and society; an outline of interpretive sociology''.. New York: Bedminster Press, 1968. 544. Inner-worldly asceticism, including above all

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

, taught the fulfillment of obligations in the world as the sole method of proving religious merit. Its emphasis on the importance of one's calling encouraged the differentiation of life-spheres, while its rationality favoured an emphasis on

natural law Natural law ( la, ius naturale, ''lex naturalis'') is a system of law based on a close observation of human nature, and based on values intrinsic to human nature that can be deduced and applied independently of positive law (the express enacte ...

– further aspects enhancing the impact Weber postulated such asceticism had upon the development of

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...

, or rather the particular type of capitalism Weber saw as marked by "the rational organization and institutionalization of social relationships...rational bourgeois capitalism".

Criticism

* Critics have challenged the validity of Weber's linking of Calvinism, and predestination in particular, with the emergence of the capitalist spirit; as well as disputing more generally any inherent or correlative link between Protestantism and capitalism. *

Postmodernism Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or Rhetorical modes, mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by philosophical skepticism, skepticis ...

in its repudiation of

metanarratives A metanarrative (also meta-narrative and grand narrative; french: métarécit) is a narrative ''about'' narratives of historical meaning, experience, or knowledge, which offers a society legitimation through the anticipated completion of a (as yet ...

has rejected Weber's theory as one (Eurocentric) aspect of such grand tales; though Fredric Jameson sees it as illuminating at least one facet of the bourgeois cultural revolutionM. Hardt/K. Weeks, ''The Jameson Reader'' (2005) p. 51—the psycho-sociological transformation that accompanied the move from

traditional A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

agrarian society An agrarian society, or agricultural society, is any community whose economy is based on producing and maintaining crops and farmland. Another way to define an agrarian society is by seeing how much of a nation's total production is in agriculture ...

to the modern urban world-system.

References

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External links

Deferred Gratification
Asceticism Max Weber Sociology of religion

Four-fold typology

Rationalism

Criticism

See also

References

Further reading

External links