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Wucher

English translation: usury

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Wucher
English translation:usury
Entered by: Kim Metzger

14:12 Oct 1, 2014
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
German term or phrase: Wucher
Context:
...
Worin bestand nun dieses neue Denken, das Max Weber als Geist des Kapitalismus bezeichnen sollte? In Deutschland brachten die so genannte Antimonopol-Bewegung und die Wucher-Diskussion während der ersten drei Jahrzehnte des 16. Jahrhunderts auch im Zusammenhang der Reformation eine Atmosphäre der Spannung und pointierter Gegensätze hervor. Die großen Handelsfirmen und ihre Monopole standen gegen die überkommene Bürgergesellschaft des ‚Gemeinen Nutzens’, gegen deren ethisches Prinzip von Gemeinsinn.
...
Peter Adolph
Local time: 19:50
usury
Explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usury
Selected response from:

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 11:50
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +9usury
Kim Metzger
3exploitation
Ramey Rieger (X)
Summary of reference entries provided
Usury
Helen Shiner

Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
usury


Explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usury

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 11:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 127
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ramey Rieger (X): you were faster
3 mins
agree  Andreas Gerold: Yes, you were indeed.
3 mins
agree  Donald Jacobson
31 mins
agree  Helen Shiner
47 mins
agree  franglish
2 hrs
agree  Coqueiro
2 hrs
agree  writeaway
4 hrs
agree  Johanna Timm, PhD
7 hrs
agree  Horst Huber (X): Late as ever, with apologies.
1 day 11 hrs
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
exploitation


Explanation:
based on this quote:



The development of the concept of the calling quickly gave to the modern entrepreneur a fabulously clear conscience – and also industrious workers; he gave to his employees as the wages of their ascetic devotion to the calling and of co-operation in his ruthless ***exploitation*** of them through capitalism the prospect of eternal salvation.
—Max Weber[61]


Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 19:50
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 43
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Reference comments


55 mins
Reference: Usury

Reference information:
Usury originally was the charging of interest on loans (any interest) or a fee to for the use of money. It actually became an offense to practice usury in 1179 that was punishable by excommunication, and later by death, until the 16th century with the weakening of the Catholic Church during the reformation. As charging interest became more accepted it later evolved to the charging of excessive interest on loans. [...] The church banned the charging of interest by Christians in 1179. However, Jews had no religious laws forbidding them from charging interest to non-Jews and people still demanded loans. At the same time Jews were being pushed out of many jobs and into professions considered marginal, such as money lenders and collectors, while being taxed heavily. Peasants hated the "front men" of their lords for the heavy taxes since many were not overly bright (like blaming the people actually levying the taxes), and no one likes their lender...it was a perfect storm. In 1189 riots in York/London started due to the heavy burden, and when people realized an easy way to get rid of loans was to get rid of the lender.

This led to over 400 years of persecution of money lenders, and exorbitantly high interest rates due to people killing off their lender when they didn't feel like paying. Even after changes in the 16th century to make charging interest (and being a Jew) more acceptable, many times Jews were the most experienced at banking...continuing the tradition. As mercantilist economic trade (along with reductions in interest rates) expanded from the 15th to the 18th century many bankers who financed it expanded in fortune and political influence.

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Usury

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 34
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