6850
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Wittgenstein pared his life down in his search for decency [Monk]
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Full Idea:
One of the most conspicuous things about Wittgenstein is that, on the ethics side, he pared his life down to the minimum, so as to make as central as possible his search for decency, the drive to be a decent person.
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From:
Ray Monk (Interview with Baggini and Stangroom [2001], p.14)
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A reaction:
It rather looks as if decency was quite an effort for him, as he had a rather waspish temperament, and people found it hard to get close to him. On the whole, though, he sounds like good company, as do nearly all the great philosophers.
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20723
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Only when working people are poor do they remain obedient to God [Calvin, by Weber]
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Full Idea:
Calvin made the much-quoted statement that only when the people, i.e. the mass of labourers and craftsmen, were poor did they remain obedient to God.
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From:
report of Jean Calvin (works [1549]) by Max Weber - The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism 5
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A reaction:
This is only one aspect of Christian influence. The alternative is John Wesley's exhortation to work diligently, live modestly, save, invest and get rich. Most people want a comfortable intermediate state, but who proclaims that?
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