The Protestant Ethic and Rockefeller Benevolence
The Religious Impulse in American Philanthropy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8975757 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Soma Hewa (0000-0002-0887-8550, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1997 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 419-452 |
| Publication date | 1997-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0021-8308 • E-ISSN: 1468-5914 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/1468-5914.00050 |
| OpenAlex | W2060476161 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
This paper is an application of Max Weber’s thesis about the “elective affinity” between Protestant religious impulses and the rise of capitalism, and rationalization of benevolence. Exploring the history of organized philanthropy in the United States, using the life and work of John D. Rockefeller, the paper presents the power of the religious motive in Rockefeller’s commitment to philanthropy, especially towards support for scientific university based research in medicine. Presenting historical evidence, the paper argues against those who see U.S. philanthropists as giving out of guilt or for selfish motivation, and those who critique philanthropic foundations as producers and reproducers of cultural hegemony
Capitalism · Environmental ethics · Hegemony · Impulse (physics · Political science · Power (physics · Protestant work ethic · Protestantism · Rationalization (economics · Sociology · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Law · Philosophy · Religion, Gender, and Enlightenment · Religion, Society, and Development
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,18 |
| Citation span | 1998 - 2024 (27) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |