Comments on Epiphenom: The Protestant 'Work-Shy' Ethic?

Yeah, good point. As with all these correlational ...

2009-10-13T22:16:00.172+01:00

Yeah, good point. As with all these correlational studies it could work either way! I like the idea that religion causes work ethic, but it could simply be as you suggest.

There was some evidence of difference between the denominations (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox) in certain aspects of work ethic, but it wasn't a bit effect.

Which suggests that the reason religious people...

2009-10-13T15:33:03.646+01:00
Which suggests that the reason religious people have a higher work ethic is that they expect to get a reward for it in this life, rather than the next.

Or to turn the causality around, could it be that people who are for whatever reason genetically predisposed to a higher "work ethic" (i.e. "work for work's sake") are less likely to be turned off by religion's insistence on obedience without compensation?

Jan-Maarten: Yes, that's a valid point....

2009-10-09T22:30:20.473+01:00
Jan-Maarten: Yes, that's a valid point. Conscientious people do tend to be religious (at least in the USA - it might not be so true in non-religious countries). But I think that aspect of personality is most closely linked to Church attendence. And, bizarrely, there was no effect of Church attendance on work ethic in this analysis!

According to Geser, the negative effects of afterlife beliefs might be because they "motivate people to shift personal investments (in terms of subjective
attention time, money, personal energy, etc.) from this-worldly to other-worldly concerns."

Thank you for this thought provoking post! Here...

2009-10-09T11:27:25.992+01:00
Thank you for this thought provoking post! Here's some thoughts that it provoked in me:

If being religious means 'actively functioning in a religious organisation', then the underlying variable explaining differences in work ethic for strength of faith could well be differences in responsibility (as a character trait). It is testable too! One could compare the work ethic of people actively participating in a religious community with non-religious people volunteering in community service organisations.

The 'afterlife effect' is fascinating too. Maybe belief in the afterlife makes people more docile, but not work harder? Again, responsibility, a sense of ownership of ones life, would be key!

Comments on Epiphenom: The Protestant 'Work-Shy' Ethic?

Yeah, good point. As with all these correlational ...

Which suggests that the reason religious people...

Jan-Maarten: Yes, that's a valid point....

Thank you for this thought provoking post! Here...