Abstract
AbstractAre Catholics more inclined to violate social norms than Protestants? A tentative answer is yes due to this confession's attitude towards absolution of sins. Opportunities existed for Christians around Reformation times, for example as sales of indulgences. Catholics and Protestants arguably differed historically in their understanding of whether penitence is feasible or not, resulting in different conditions under which Catholics and Protestants decide in situations of social exchange. This is illustrated by ethical game theory and exemplified by historical data. The analysis points to the tentative suggestion that religious socialisation can affect social payoffs of crime and social trust in a long‐term perspective.
Highlights
In 1676, Isaac Newton modestly wrote that if he had seen further than others, it was because he stood on the shoulders of giants (Newton, 1676). Olson (1965) could have said in the same way that if he stood on the shoulders of a giant, it must have been Adam Smith and his book The Wealth of Nations
Since the way people deal with norm violations is crucial for the quality of social exchange, in those times, there could have been a difference in social trust and committing norm violations between Catholics and Protestants
The general approach was to study whether religion can affect the social payoffs from universalistic norms such as law‐abiding and social trust
Summary
In 1676, Isaac Newton modestly wrote that if he had seen further than others, it was because he stood on the shoulders of giants (Newton, 1676). Olson (1965) could have said in the same way that if he stood on the shoulders of a giant, it must have been Adam Smith and his book The Wealth of Nations. In 1676, Isaac Newton modestly wrote that if he had seen further than others, it was because he stood on the shoulders of giants (Newton, 1676). Olson (1965) could have said in the same way that if he stood on the shoulders of a giant, it must have been Adam Smith and his book The Wealth of Nations. Smith introduces the notion of the private market and the invisible hand (Smith, [1776] 1975). While the notion of the term ‘invisible hand’ in Smith's work is still debatable, the reference to Calvinist (and theological) ideas about the ‘[...] positive view of self‐ love [...], a providentialist view of history, and an emphasis on the importance of industry and vocation’ 456), to the wealth of a nation by pursuing self‐interested goals in the private market.
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