Max Weber And Eliade Research Paper

While the discoveries of both Max Weber and Mircea Eliade are quite notable, the theories formed by each scholar differ greatly. A German sociologist from the nineteenth century, Max Weber aided in the discovery to what is commonly referred to as modern sociology, according to Daniel Pals, author of Eight Theories of Religion (Pals, 2006 p. ##). As an advocate of capitalism, Weber believed that such a concept was made possible through religious ideas found under the structures of religion, such as Protestantism. According to Pals, in 1905, Weber published one of his most famous works, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (Pals, 2006 p. ##). Primarily, Weber’s works centered around the connection between religion and social reform. Analyzing religious concepts, Weber believed that religion assisted somewhat to the creation of a structured society, according to Pals (Pals, 2006 p. ##). In The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
192). Traveling, studying, and teaching abroad, one of Eliade’s most notable works is The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion, published in 1957, according to Daniel Pals (Pals, 2006 p. ##). In his work, Elaide describes religion as somewhat of an encounter with “the sacred,” or something unordinary, unusual, or supernatural, according to Pals (Pals, 2006 p. ##). However, Eliade describes the profane as a mundane, or ordinary aspect of life. In his work, Eliade explains the difference between sacred and profane in a way similar to two distinct approaches to life. In fact, Elaide viewed human contact with the sacred to be a normal aspect of life, as he also sought after religion to be a real, true concept. According to Daniel Pals, Eliade theorized religion as an autonomous and independent concept, adopting a phenomenological mindset (Pals, 2006 p.