When certain branches of the economy become obsolete, as in the case of the steel industry, not only do jobs disappear, which is obviously a terrible social hardship, but certain cultures also disappear. Peter L. Berger Read Quote
There is a continuum of values between the churches and the general community. What distinguishes the handling of these values in the churches is mainly the heavier dosage of religious vocabulary involved. Peter L. Berger Read Quote
The problem with liberal Protestantism in America is not that it has not been orthodox enough, but that it has lost a lot of religious substance. Peter L. Berger Read Quote
Some people think that as the Chinese economy becomes more and more capitalistic it will inevitably become more democratic. Peter L. Berger Read Quote
Some people seem to gravitate from one fundamentalism to another, from some kind of secular fundamentalism into a religious fundamentalism or the other way around, which is not very helpful. Peter L. Berger Read Quote
So I think one can say on empirical grounds – not because of some philosophical principle – that you can’t have democracy unless you have a market economy. Peter L. Berger Read Quote
Our institute’s agenda is relatively simple. We study the relationship between social-economic change and culture. By culture we mean beliefs, values and lifestyles. We cover a broad range of issues, and we work very internationally. Peter L. Berger Read Quote
Let me say again that the relationship is asymmetrical: there’s no democracy without a market economy, but you can have a market economy without democracy. Peter L. Berger Read Quote
If you say simply that pressures toward democracy are created by the market, I would say yes. Peter L. Berger Read Quote
It has been true in Western societies and it seems to be true elsewhere that you do not find democratic systems apart from capitalism, or apart from a market economy, if you prefer that term. Peter L. Berger Read Quote
