Max Weber - From protestantism to capitalism

[Maaja]

What about the theory of Max Weber, who said that the progress of capitalism started thanks to protestantism?

[antieverything]

Like some cappie said before, correlation does not neccesarily mean causeality. They happened to happen at similar times in Europe but capitalism was shaping before the reformation.

[Guest]

I picture catholicism as the ussr... one man leads many with a few at lower levels, everyone is equal (supposedly) and though you call someone father, or sister, they are still to treat the worshippers better than they themselves are treated. Because protastantism was taken up by more seafaring and capitalist nations (holland, most of southern england, sweden, good part of northern german ports), it is thusly that capitalists promoted it, also when the protastents decided to loot rich catholic churches most of the money and things were kept rather than given to their own church, and money gained was not spent on the church and parishoners but rather on the ministers.

[ArgueEverything]

Catholicism was part of the superstructure (to use Marx's terminology) of feudalism, and Protestantism was part of of the Capitalist superstructure. I don't think it still is, since the "Protestant Work Ethic" no longer exists, as far as I can tell. But I do believe that the Protestant religion did allow capitalism to break free from the chains of Catholicism, which had long been a fetter on its development.