Religion and the Spirit of Capitalism

Transcription

1 Religin and the Spirit f Capitalism UCCS Fall 2014 Mndays 1:40PM - 4:20PM Clumbine Hall 324 Instructr: Jeff Schles Office: COB 4057 Office Hurs: Tuesdays, 12:00-1:30 pm; Wednesdays, 1:30-3:00 pm me t set up an appintment t guarantee a meeting Phne: x jschles@uccs.edu Curse Descriptin The relatinship between religin and ecnmics is ften verlked r thught t nt be a real relatinship at all. Religin is private and sacred; ecnmics is public and secular, s the argument ges. Yet when the tw are put int relatinship, questins ften arise: Is religin nthing mre than a prp fr prfit-making in a capitalist ecnmy? Did religin actually sw the seeds f capitalism? Is it a prblem when religin uses marketing tricks t sell its wares? Can religius mrality be used t critique capitalism and the culture that it has created? This curse will attempt t answer these and ther questins by acquainting students with the cmplex relatinship between religin and the dminant ecnmic system in the 21 st century: capitalism. This relatinship will be explred frm several vantage pints: religin as a cause f capitalism, capitalism as a fertile envirnment fr religin, religin s use f capitalistic tactics fr its wn purpses, the ways that Eastern and nn-jude/christian traditins have dealt with capitalism, and the religiusly grunded critique f capitalism. Thrugh the reading several imprtant and diverse thinkers frm the fields f scilgy, ecnmics, plitical philsphy and thelgy, we will explre the thery behind the relatinship. Texts (required) James Fulcher: Capitalism: A Very Shrt Intrductin (Lndn: Oxfrd University Press, 2004) Michael Nvak, The Spirit f Demcratic Capitalism (Madisn Bks, 1990) ** Any readings nt in this bk will be in either: 1. A weblink as psted in the curse schedule 2. In a PDF file under Curse Cntent Curse Packet n ur Blackbard curse page 1

2 Requirements: 1. Essays There will be three essays written (10%, 15%, 20% respectively) Each will be 4-5 pages (4 pages minimum if it ges ver 5 pages, I wn t necessarily cunt ff fr this) duble-spaced, 12 pint fnt, 1 margins The essay will be printed ut and turned in by hand at the beginning f the class date n which it is due (see schedule belw) Yu must cite at least TWO f the authrs that we have read N ftntes necessary fr these--use parenthetical citatins, fr ex.:... belief in Gd (Stark, 46). If yu cite frm utside ur required text, then yu must ftnte this surce Use Chicag Style fr ftntes: Use an internet surce ONLY if necessary. Each essay will be an answer t a questin that I ask and the questin will be psted under Curse Cntent n Bb. 2. Reading Respnse Presentatin (15%) Yu and a partner will lead the discussin n a reading n selected class days. These will be n particular readings marked in red n the schedule belw. One f yu will write: 1. a ne-page, duble-spaced summary f the cntent f the reading answering: a. what is the authr s prblem r issue at hand if nt clearly stated, what d yu assume it is? b. What is the authr s purpse r hw des authr answer the prblem yu stated and hence what s at stake fr the authr in answering this prblem in this way? The ther will write: 2. a ne-page, duble-spaced critical respnse t the reading which will include: a. yur issues (bth psitive and negative) with the argument (r at times, the main pint) f the reading i. Respnse shuld be geared twards the imprtance f the reading fr understanding cnsumer culture (and religin, if cntained in the reading) Bth f yu will cme up with: 3. 3 discussin questins fr the class Please me yur presentatin BEFORE class s I can print it ut and distribute it. 3. Final Thesis paper (40%) 8-10 page paper Yu will cme up with a tpic invlving the relatinship between religin and capitalism t write n. Yu must run yur paper idea by me in advance either by r in persn. Due Dec. 15 (Our scheduled Final Exam day) at 11:59 pm submit t Bb under Final Paper file Schedule [blank cells dente lecture/discussin] Date Theme Reading Assignment/Class Activity [nte: I will lecture n the readings in BLACK. Readings in RED will be presented by students] 8/25 Syllabus review /Intrductry Nne 2

3 Remarks n Religin and Capitalism 9/1 N Class Labr Day 9/8 What is Capitalism? Origins Adam Smith 9/15 Crisis f Capitalism? Karl Marx 9/22 Religin Caused Capitalism I Max Weber and The Prtestant Ethic and the Spirit f Capitalism 9/29 Religin Caused Capitalism II Rdney Stark 10/6 Capitalism is Religius Michael Nvak Essay #1 due at beginning f class 10/13 Mrality f Markets Gerge Gilder 10/20 Gd and the Market M. Duglas Meeks 10/27 Capitalism is NOT Religius Liberatin thelgy/ppe Francis 11/3 Capitalism uses Religin Carrette and King Essay #2 due at beginning f class 11/10 Religin uses Capitalism Churches as Marketers Fulcher, Chs. 1-2 Read ch. I nly: (ptinal intrductry reading): 09/11/the-very-best-shrt-summary-f-adam-smiths-lifeand-wrk.html Guest lecture: Raphael Sasswer Fulcher, Ch. 6 mmunist-manifest/ch01.htm (read Preamble and Ch. I) c1/ch01.htm#219 Read: %20Prtestant%20Ethic.pdf stant-ethic/ch04.htm#a Curse packet Stark: Intrductin Curse packet Stark: Ch. 1 Nvak, Intrductin Nvak, Ch. IV--Sin Nvak, Ch. XX A Thelgy f Demcratic Capitalism Curse packet Gilder reading Curse packet Meeks reading Guest lecture: Kelly Bubach f Urban Steam Curse packet Gutierrez a-francesc_esrtazine-ap_ _evangeliigaudium.html#i.%e2%80%82sme_challenges_f_tday%e2%80%99s_wrld Read ch. 4: Spirituality-the-Silent-Takever-f-Religin.pdf Curse packet Cimin/Lattin reading 11/17 Capitalism and Islam Read: 11/24 N Class 12/1 Trip t Fcus n the Family 12/8 Capitalism and Buddhism 12/15 Essay #3 due at beginning f class Read: 0f%20Capitalism.pdf Final Paper due in Bb by 11:59 pm 3

4 Evaluatin guidelines fr all written assignments Grade Descriptin Cntent Style A Excellent wrk A B B B C C C D D D F 59> Strng wrk Acceptable wrk Pr wrk Unacceptable wrk Assignment ges abve and beynd cmpletin accrding t instructins; shws bth sphisticated understanding f curse materials and riginal critical thught; prfessr learns smething frm the student Assignment shws nt nly slid understanding f materials but als sme riginal thught and critical engagement Assignment is cmpleted accrding t instructins but nt much mre; shws sme understanding f materials but little individual thught/engagement Assignment nt cmpleted accrding t instructins and/r shws lack f reading, thught, and/r understanding f materials N evidence f reading/thinking at all; student shws blatant disregard fr assignment apart frm turning it in (r paper 4 days late r mre) Grammar, spelling, punctuatin, and citatins are perfect r nearly perfect Only minr mistakes present in grammar, spelling, punctuatin, and citatins Slppy; grammar, spelling, punctuatin, and citatins may be faulty r pr Grammar, spelling, punctuatin and citatins are pr Grammar, spelling, punctuatin and citatins are pr r nn-existent 0 Ungraded Student cheated/plagiarized r assignment was nt turned in at all. Nte: I rund up t the nearest tenth f a percent n yur FINAL GRADE. If yu finish with an 89.5, that is runded up t an A-. But if yu finish with an , that is still a B+. Statement f Academic Integrity Academic integrity lies at the fundatin f the academic prcess. Academic dishnesty includes, but is nt limited t, acts f fraud and deceptin n an examinatin r class assignment, acts f frgery r unauthrized alteratin f any fficial academic recrd r dcument, and attempts t gain credit fr wrk which ne has plagiarized frm the wrk f anther persn. Plagiarism means taking ideas and writings frm anther persn knwn r unknwn, published r unpublished and representing them as ne s wn wrk. The wrd-fr-wrd use f anther persn s wrk must in every instance be acknwledged by the use f qutatin marks r by indentatin and single-spacing f the material if at least three lines lng, and the citatin f authr and precise surce. Dependence upn anther persn s wrk, whether thrugh paraphrase r the utilizatin f that persn s statements as a basis fr ne s wn, must be acknwledged by authr and surce citatin. Academic dishnesty als includes the submissin, as ne s wn wrk, f anther persn s wrk, such as anther student s term paper r a paper frm a term paper preparatin service. The submissin f ne s wn paper, r a substantial prtin theref, fr academic credit in tw r mre curses als is cnsidered t be academic dishnesty, except in thse rare instances in which the instructrs invlved are s infrmed and give prir apprval. In sme cases when a faculty member believes that a student has nt fllwed the rules fr apprpriate citatin f materials he r she may wish t have the student red the wrk r address the prblem in anther way. *Cllabrative studying is allwed fr this curse, but n amunt f cllabratin may take place in the writing phase f any assignment. Ding such will be cnsidered a frm f cheating. Any submitted wrk that resembles t clsely the submitted wrk f anther 4

5 student will result in serius cnsequences. Students must cmplete their wn written wrk in its entirety. Als, n amunt f cpying (cutting and pasting) frm ther dcuments is allwed. All use f academic resurces (lectures, essays, articles, bks, nline material, etc.) must prperly cite/credit these surces fr the ideas and language cntained therein. Failure t d s is plagiarism, and will result in expulsin frm the class, a grade f "F," and perhaps further academic penalties. Resurces fr Aviding Plagiarism Student Cnduct Standards and Prcedures Additinal Curse Infrmatin N incmpletes will be given unless the student cntacts me well in advance f the end f the quarter. The circumstances must include serius medical prblems r ther extreme difficulties. All requests fr special accmmdatins, e.g., medical, athletic, r learning-related, must be presented t me the first day f class. All such requests must be accmpanied by the apprpriate paperwrk t be cnsidered. N absences will be excused except in the cases f (a) an emergent medical situatin r severe illness; r (b) a death in the student s immediate family. "Disabilities Services: Students with disabilities shuld turn in their disability verificatin letters within the first tw weeks f class. Fr further infrmatin, cntact Disability Services, Main Hall 105, Fr mre infrmatin, see the Disability Services page: Military students: If yu are a military student with the ptential f being called t military service and/r training during the curse f the semester, yu are encuraged t cntact yur UCCS curse instructr n later than the first week f class t discuss the class attendance plicy. Please see the Military Students website fr mre infrmatin: Upn matriculatin, all students implicitly agree t abide by the University s Academic Hnr Cde. Any vilatins f that cde in ur class will be taken very seriusly. If we find evidence that yu ve vilated the Hnr Cde, either intentinally r unintentinally, yu will either (a) receive n credit fr the assignment in questin; r (b) be expelled frm the class and assigned a failing grade fr the curse. In extreme cases, yu may als be reprted t the apprpriate authrities n campus fr further review. A great nline resurce fr learning prper citatin and bibligraphic methd is the fllwing: Accmmdatins Any student wishing an accmmdatin based n the impact f a disability shuld cntact the instructrs privately as sn as pssible t discuss yur specific needs. We rely n the Office f Academic Supprt t verify the need fr accmmdatin based n their ffice files. 5

6 FERPA Infrmatin Accrding t the Family Educatinal Rights and Privacy Act f 1974 (FERPA), als knwn as the Buckley Amendment, infrmatin cncerning grades and ther student infrmatin may nly be disseminated t a student in a secure and cnfidential fashin. OTHER INFO: Philsphy Department Hmepage: E-Cmpanin Lg-in: Campus Lg-in: Infrmatin Technlgy Site (fr dwnlading VPN, helpdesk, etc.): IT Services Helpdesk Phne: (719)