Protestant work ethic

[Tamrin]

Protestant work ethic

[Excerpt - from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Linked Above]

The Protestant Work Ethic, sometimes called the Puritan Work Ethic, is a sociological, theoretical concept. It is based upon the notion that the Calvinist emphasis on the necessity for hard work is proponent of a person's calling and worldly success is a sign of personal salvation. It is argued that Protestants beginning with Martin Luther had reconceptualised worldly work as a duty which benefits both the individual and society as a whole. Thus, the Catholic idea of good works was transformed into an obligation to work diligently as a sign of grace.

Max Weber first coined the term

[maximus]

Bah, humbug! What has it gotten us here in the US? Too much stress and fewer vacations and holidays than the rest of the world.

[Tamrin]

Jul 16, 2009 1:33:00 GMT 10 @maximus said:

Bah, humbug! What has it gotten us here in the US? Too much stress and fewer vacations and holidays than the rest of the world.

Indeed and, as the linked article points out, history allows too many exceptions to the notion of it being a purely Protestant phenomenon, for it to be meaningful, other than as a rather vain theological construct.