Weber saw religion from a different perspective; he saw him as an agent of change. He challenged Marx that religion was not the effect of some economic, social or psychological factor. But that religion was used as a means to explain things that cause other things. Because religious forces play an important role in strengthening our modern culture, Weber came to the conclusion that religion serves as both cause and effect. Weber did not formulate a general theory of religion but focused on the interaction between society and religion. Weber believed that the role of religious emotions in causing ideal types such as capitalism should be understood. It explained the transition in Europe from the other worldliness of Catholicism to the worldliness of early Protestantism; according to Weber this was what started the capitalist economic system. As he mentioned in his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, capitalism is not about being rich. Weber said there is a connection between religions. He stated that Protestants are more likely to be successful businessmen than Catholics. The reason for this was because he believed that a Protestant earned money to accumulate savings, not for luxuries. Implying this, he argued that modern capitalism originated in Western Europe and is specific to Protestant values and faith. Marx Weber goes on and explains capitalism, explains the work ethic in terms of religious feeling, arguing that financial activities were rooted in the work ethic and in turn became the new religion. "Man is dominated by gain, by acquisition as the ultimate goal of his life." While Karl Marx sees capitalism as a way to prevent elites from controlling wealth, ... middle of paper ... beyond this world that manifests itself in our midst, makes itself known and brings about a change in our reality." In other words, his study of religion is the examination of the different forms and places in which the sacred manifests itself. Weber and Eliade both argued that religion should be understood on its own terms. Although both Marx and Weber have different views on religion, they all agree that misery arises from the forces of society and capitalism. Marx believed that religion provided relief from suffering in the material world. Weber believed that motivation came from the individual's desire to overcome problems, supported by the religious ethic of working to do well for the greater good. Unlike Durkheim who mentions the sacred and the profane by linking them to the needs of society, Eliade proclaims that the interest of religion concerns the supernatural..
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