1. Agenda Announcements: Paper due Wednesday November 5, 2008 at 5 pm in dropbox; Title your paper “FI Last Name Paper 2” Example entries in Journal Review of Marx and Weber’s take on Religion Group Activity

2. Marx’s Basic Concepts There are only two classes – Bourgeoisie and Proletariat Ownership of the means of production is the sole determinant of social position and social conflict Bourgeoisie exploit the workers by gaining a profit from their labor False Consciousness = when the reality of the proletariats condition is obscured by false ideologies (such as religion). It prevents the proletariats from seeing that their oppression is directly related to the position of the capitalists Historical Materialism – that history has been characterized by the conflict of opposing social forces. These forces are defined by the means of production. Marx deviated from Hegel in that he said that false ideologies prevented people from seeing their true material conditions, but that reality was visible.

3. Marx and Weber Religion only exists because of man and is a projection of societal conditions Proletariat develop a false consciousness via religion Bourgeoisie gain a justification for their social position via religion In both cases, religious ideas are projections of current social conditions When capitalism is eradicated, religion will disappear because it won’t be needed Religious ideas exist independently of man but gain social power via their social and psychological functions The sorting of classes into different religions gives them power, not their origin Elective Affinity Religions develop through 1. their own internal logic and 2. the interaction of religious ideas and the social climate of the time

4. Weber’s Questions What are the problems that particular religious systems present for functioning in everyday life? What solutions do religious systems offer for tensions within society?

5. Group Activity Which class would you say each family is a part of? Use the concepts from the readings and lecture to justify your decision Pick one of the Vignettes and discuss how you would analyze it according to Marx. How would you analyze another Vignette according to Weber?

6. Review Paper due Wednesday by 5pm Marx’s Basic Concepts Differences in how Marx and Weber view religion