Protestant work ethic
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The Protestant work ethic, also known as the Puritan work ethic, is a biblically based teaching on the necessity of hard work, perfection and the goodness of labor. Protestant preachers preached on the goodness and the necessity of labor and its efficacious effect for humans personally and on Christian society as a whole. Protestant preachers saw this as a salve or a correction for original sin.
The term was first coined by Max Weber who was the “youngest” of the German Historical School. The Protestant work ethic is often credited with helping to define the societies of Northern Europe and other Protestant countries where Protestantism was strong, such as in Scandinavia, Northern Germany, Great Britain and the US. In such countries it is regarded by many observers as one of the cornerstones of national prosperity. It has been said that people in countries with Protestant roots tend to be more materialistic, perfectionist, and that people often focus too much on work, compared to people many other countries, such as Spain and Italy, where the people have had a more relaxed attitude toward work.
See also
- Protestantism
- Martin Luther
- Adam and Eve (Mormonism), "The Commandment to Work"
- The Idler (1993)
- Prosperity theology
- Work ethic
External link
- [Article on the Protestant Ethic from EH.NET's Encyclopedia] by economist Donald Frey
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