# Transformation of Social Ethics in Religion and the Rise of Capitalism > Theme guide for Religion and the Rise of Capitalism by R. H. Tawney. The work details the evolution of social ethics from a medieval 'social organism' model, based on mutual obligation and a just price, to a modern system where economic expediency and the protection of property became the primary criteria for social policy. ## Where it surfaces - [I: The Medieval Background](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/i-the-medieval-background): The chapter traces the shift from a religiously grounded moral economy to the secular science of political arithmetic, marking a transformation in social ethics. - [The Social Organism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/i-the-social-organism): The chapter discusses how religious and moral doctrines had to be modified as the new economic environment became established, leading to a transformation of social ethics. - [The Sin of Avarice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/ii-the-sin-of-avarice): The evolution from strict just-price doctrine to St. Antonino's probabilistic approach illustrates a gradual shift in ethical reasoning about economic life. - [III: The Ideal and the Reality](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/iii-the-ideal-and-the-reality): The chapter discusses the shift from a medieval spiritual view of society to a more economic and secular approach, with the Church's moral framework breaking down in the sixteenth century. - [II: The Continental Reformers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/ii-the-continental-reformers): Calvinism is described as the first systematic religious teaching to recognize and applaud economic virtues, shifting the focus from condemning wealth to disciplining its use. - [Luther](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/ii-luther): The chapter discusses the shift from medieval canonist approaches to economic questions toward the Reformation's attempt to reconstruct social ethics on a biblical basis, though with unintended consequences. - [III: Calvin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/iii-calvin): Calvinism introduced a new scale of moral values and a new ideal of social conduct, replacing medieval and Lutheran ethics with a system that emphasized personal responsibility, discipline, and the reconstruction of society. - [III: The Church of England](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/iii-the-church-of-england): The Church's traditional social doctrines are shown as ineffective in the face of commercial capitalism, leading to their theoretical abandonment. - [The Land Question](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/i-the-land-question): The reformers' critique of the new economic practices represents a restatement of traditional social obligations, even as the actual transformation of society moved toward individualism and market-driven values. - [II: Religious and Social Policy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/ii-religious-and-social-policy): The chapter traces the shift from medieval social theory, which insisted on equity in bargaining, to a more individualistic and capitalist ethic, despite the Church's resistance. - [The Growth of Individualism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/iii-the-growth-of-individualism): The chapter describes how the traditional social ethics of the Church, based on corporate morality and spiritual criteria, were discredited and replaced by an individualistic, self-regulating economic philosophy. - [IV: The Puritan Movement](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/iv-the-puritan-movement): Traces the shift from a collective, church-enforced moral code to economic individualism and secularized social philosophy. - [Puritanism and Society](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/i-puritanism-and-society): The chapter discusses how Puritanism reshaped not only individual character but also family, church, industry, city, and political institutions, creating a new social order. - [II: A Godly Discipline Versus the Religion of Trade](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/ii-a-godly-discipline-versus-the-religion-of-trade): Traces how Puritan social theory shifted from rigorous discipline to an almost Utilitarian individualism over time. - [III: The Triumph of Economic Virtues](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/iii-the-triumph-of-economic-virtues): The chapter shows the transformation of social ethics from a collectivist, half-communistic aspect to an individualism congenial to business, where virtues like diligence and thrift became conducive to commercial success. - [The New Medicine for Poverty](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/iv-the-new-medicine-for-poverty): The chapter details the shift from a medieval ethic of communal obligation and charity to a Puritan-influenced individualism that emphasized personal character and disparaged social responsibility for poverty. - [Conclusion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/v-conclusion): Discusses the failure to adapt traditional social ethics to the needs of a more complex and mobile social order, leading to the decline of religious influence over economic life. - [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/endnotes): The notes discuss the shift from rigorous Calvinist discipline to later Puritan individualism, questioning the causes of this transformation. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/themes/transformation_of_social_ethics - Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/themes