Talk:Protestant work ethic

Protestant work ethic
The first sense is of the "value". The RfVd sense (in paraphrase) is the idea that Protestant countries work harder than others. Although I have graded papers that may use the term that way, I don't think that it is verifiable. DCDuring 15:22, 11 November 2007 (UTC)


 * Really? I'd have thought that was even what we call "clearly widespread use". (Remember that we include terms like vomitorium: whose senses reflect erroneous understandings of the world; the question isn't whether Protestant countries work harder than others, but whether the term "Protestant work ethic" is an idiom or set phrase expressing this belief. I'd say that it is.) —Ruakh TALK 22:40, 11 November 2007 (UTC)


 * Oh, I guess I see what you're saying: the term is used due to that notion, but doesn't itself refer to that notion. I think I agree. —Ruakh TALK 23:04, 11 November 2007 (UTC)


 * Yes, it's sloppy thinking/naming, but it might be sloppy thinking/naming that has entered general currency. DCDuring 01:57, 12 November 2007 (UTC)


 * The definition could be improved. This phrase has been used to refer to Anabaptists of industrializing England in a James Burke documentary series on British television.  Since the Anabaptists are not Calvinists, nor were they the population of the entire country, the current definitions we have are too narrow or incomplete. --EncycloPetey 03:49, 12 November 2007 (UTC)