Martin Luther King Jr

             A Discussion and Analysis Of some of his Contributions As Well as their Social,
             Political and Economic Impacts Since the Thirteen Colonies first united, the United States
             has had one of the strongest economies in the world. Over the years, many theorists have
             had varying opinions concerning the reason for this nation's strong economic standing.
             One reason that has often been overlooked is that a great many of this nation's workers
             have been influenced by the Protestant work ethic.
             The philosophy behind this work ethic has driven many workers to attain as much
             as possible at their jobs during their lifetimes. If one man were to be given credit for the
             development of the Protestant work ethic it would have to be Martin Luther. In the course
             of the next several pages this researcher will examine the ethic that has had such a great
             impact on the United State's economy and on the economies of other nations. It has been
             suggested by such writers as Weber and Smith that the Protestant work ethic first
             developed around the word "calling." Basically, this term has a religious connotation
             which is a task set by God. However, gradually this term was expanded to the point where
             it covered many of man's activities. During the Protestant Reformation, the term "calling"
             started to take on a new meaning. Fulfilling one's duty in worldly affairs became a task of
             extreme importance. gradually, fulfilling one's duty was not only important but it became
             the moral obligation of every individual (the highest form of moral activity). Before the
             Reformation, the Catholic Church did not believe that everyday world activities had a
             religious significance. As a result of Luther these world activities were quite important in
             adhering to God's wishes. Rather than devote one's life to worshipping God through
             prayer, and instead of sacrificing all worldly goods to follow Christ, the Protestants
             believed that the task ...

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Martin Luther King Jr. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 01:57, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/41855.html