Социология религии по теории Макса Вебера

     On Weber, the most boldly rationalistic beginning was showed in Confucianism in China, Hinduism religion and Protestantism. For Confucianism, Weber marks, the main thing - safe terrestrial life, absence of belief in afterlife. The order and harmony is Confucianism philosophy, applicable both to the person, and to a state system. However Confucianism did not reject also magic which as admitted, has the power over evil ghosts. Thereupon, Weber shows that in Confucianism have incorporated two beginnings - esthetic-rational and irrational - magic. Owing to the given circumstance as China could not affirm formally - rational type of management and similar with western the rational type of an economy.

     Only rationalism of Protestant ethics directly promotes rationalization of life economic, initiating at people aspiration to profit, rational discipline of work that has found the expression in the known thesis of Weber about "adequacies of spirit of capitalism and spirit протестантизма". протестантизма he states an essence, using the text "Westminster confession" 1647г. Analyzing concrete activity of Protestant sects, Weber underlines that they as the best means for finding of internal confidence of rescue consider tireless activity within the limits of the trade.

     Besides, Weber marks, sooner or later before each believer there should be the same question which is pushing aside on a background all rest: whether I and how me to make sure of the selection? The Protestant church answers it the same way: accurate, constant work in world professional work "gives confidence of the election". At last, Weber specifies in conformity of many requirements of Protestant ethics to certain imperatives of born spirit of capitalism: tirelessly to work for the sake of reception of profit and to follow ascetic behaviour. It has just been a necessary condition of the capitalist development assuming use of profit for a constant reinvestition, for the further reproduction of means of production etc. In a word, the profit is important not to enjoy life delights, and for satisfaction of requirement to reproduce more and more.

     The methodological nominalism of Weber contrasts with materialism of Durkheim as well as his methodological individualism is opposed a collectivism of the French sociologist.

     Weber refuses to define religious while for Durkheim it is a necessary preliminary condition, and we learn at once that Durkheim understands as religion. The conclusion contains in the introduction, and work is constructed as a vast substantiation of the initial definition given a priori. At Max Weber we do not see anything similar: the religious phenomenon is not defined by it neither in a cut-in, nor in the conclusion so the impressive cultural-historical reasoning leaves us in indecision.

     Max Weber as nobody of other sociologists, has shown value of great religious movements, both for differentiation of the basic types of societies, and for creation (through an institutionalization taking in them the beginning of values) important stimulus to certain kinds of changes that was especially visually showed in case of ascetic Protestantism, brought the solving contribution to development of a society of the modern industrial type.

     For understanding of Weber's concept of a social role of religion it is necessary to mean those reasons by which it was guided in the researches of religious behavior of people. Weber recognized that public institutes, structures, behaviour forms function on the basis of those senses which are given to them by people. In the social activity people follow that or other approved society to samples of behaviour, the behaviour is focused on achievement of definite purposes and correlated somehow with values, it is comprehended and, hence, the aims pursued by people and the accepted valuable orientations direct and regulate social actions of people, carry out their "rationalisation". It means that determinatives of social activity and society development root in values, norms, culture, and ways of rationalization of behaviour of people.

     In acts of human are included ways of orientation which provide uniformity of behavioural certificates. Social action can be focused on value- rational; besides these two types of rational action Weber allocated still affective (action under the influence of emotions) and traditional (action on the established usage even if it does not answer rational criteria and  vulnerable for criticism, i.e. it is a question in this case of irrational aspects of action).

     In the analysis of primitive religion the leading role is played traditionalism,  connected as Weber establishes, with ritual and a sacralization (light exposure) recognised lawful an order. However and at this stage to some extent the norm of rationality in achievement already operates Orientation to a lawful order is more whole assumes existence of rules of behaviour and creates the various relation to "lawful" and "deviating" actions.

     Weber solves the question brought by his motivation of maintenance of an order, and is wider - about the nature traditional type of social relations, entering concept of charisma - the quality inherent in actions as value - and also purposeless. In the primary value it is interfaced to concept of magic.

     Weber analyzes elements of action which are connected with the relation of the person to thus allocated area of "supernatural": the purposes to which люд also aspire by means of these actions; sense which they in these actions put; their real results and value.

     In other words, placing them in an unusual frame of reference - religious, i.e. such in which human interests appear twisted in representations about supernatural (in that specific sense about which here there is a speech), a frame of reference in which usual people and things are allocated with symbolical value. "Now in life play a role not only things and events which exist and occur, but besides them and such which" mean something "and just because" mean". Magic action becomes symbolical. Along with bodily fear before a corpse, character of a burial place starts to be defined by representations about intangible in usual sense, accessible only by means of symbols and the latent values in a kingdom of spirits, demons and gods.

     Polemizing with Marx, Weber proved that "ideas" - the important factor of development of a society that there is a causal communication between ethical principles, religious beliefs, rules of law, on the one hand, and economic, political and other kinds of activity - with another.

     Thus, it is possible to tell that specific to religion Weber considered it "sensitive" function. Having concentrated attention to sociological aspect of religion, i.e. religious motivation of social activity, Weber has addressed to studying mainly "world religions" as which he considered having the greatest number of followers and having the most notable influence on a history course.

     Summing up, we can draw a conclusion that we do not have possibility widely to present and analyse influence of ideas of Weber on the subsequent development of sociology, and also to be engaged in research of those tendencies which are connected with this or that revaluation of its creative heritage. It is an independent problem and she should dare as that. As in the course of the subsequent statement of development of the sociological theory to a figure of Weber we will be compelled to address both in the thematic plan, and on the questions, concerning actually theoretical and methodological evolution of sociological knowledge, change of paradigms of thinking in sociology.

     According to the aforesaid, I can notice that M.Weber who has defined in research of religion as a basis not a solution of a problem of genesis, and, as consequence, studying of its early forms, did not consider a question on essence of religion. He studied only conditions and consequences, proceeding from subjective experiences, representations, the purposes of the separate individual. Weber underlined that cult actions always have посюсторонние the purposes. Comparison and classification methods, to which he resorted, demanded constant opposition of phenomena of religious consciousness. According to the method, Weber chose an object of research, studying religions of developed societies. He aspired to prove, polemizing with Marxist school that religious beliefs, religious ethics were the basic stimulus of development of economy of capitalism, hence, not economic relations in a society define forms of public consciousness, including religions, and on the contrary.

     M. Weber's social theory starts with the individual, from his subjective intelligence of the actions. Work "Protestant ethics and spirit of capitalism" shows depth of thought of M. Weber. Much from that he has given to us in the works and researches are widely used in mass media and in the scientific environment that the next time shows the importance of his works for our time.