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Social Theorist

Max Weber

English: VAY-ber; German: [VEH-buh]. Often mispronounced WEE-ber by English readers following the spelling rather than the German W sound.
Also Known As Maximilian Carl Emil Weber
Sociology
Birdcage

A principal founder of modern sociology who turned from positivist method toward interpretive understanding of social action, seeking Verstehen, and traced the cultural roots of Western capitalism to ascetic Protestant belief.

Facts
Birth DateSourced to the subject's own account
1864-04-21 1
Birth YearSourced to the subject's own account
1864 1
Death DateSourced to the subject's own account
1920-06-14 1
Death YearSourced to the subject's own account
1920 1
BirthplaceSourced to the subject's own account
Erfurt, Province of Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia 1
Death PlaceSourced to the subject's own account
Munich, Bavaria, Weimar Republic 1
Nationality / CultureSourced to the subject's own account
German 1
Defining ContributionSourced to the subject's own account
Developed interpretive sociology through the concept of Verstehen: understanding social action through the subjective meaning actors themselves attach to it. 1
Notable WorkSourced to the subject's own account
Economy and Society (1921-1922) 1
Notable WorkSourced to the subject's own account
Politics as a Vocation (1919) 1
Notable WorkSourced to the subject's own account
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1904-1905) 1
Connections

Associated With

Bureaucracy as a sociological concept is essentially Max Weber's own theoretical formulation of rational-legal organization.

Source Wikipedia: Bureaucracy

Weber's concept of rational-legal authority treats law as formal norms applied impersonally through bureaucratic institutions.

Source Wikipedia: Sociology of Law
Robert Michels, Social Theorists

Was a close associate of Max Weber.

Source Wikipedia: Robert Michels

Weber's three-component model (class, status, power) is one of the two most influential classical theories of stratification, alongside Marx's two-class model.

Source Wikipedia: Social Stratification

Weber's 1919 monopoly-on-legitimate-force definition is the discipline's most widely cited definition of the state.

Source Wikipedia: State (Polity)

Theories Developed

Max Weber early interpretive sociology, explaining social phenomena through the meaningful action of individuals, is a foundational statement of methodological individualism.

In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Max Weber
Wikipedia
  • Lead section
    Maximilian Carl Emil Weber was born on 21 April 1864 in Erfurt, Province of Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia
  • Death section
    By 14 June 1920, the cold had turned into influenza and he died of pneumonia in Munich.
  • Sociology section
    the study of social action through interpretive means or verstehen (to understand) needed to be based upon understanding the subjective meaning and purpose that individuals attached to their actions.
View the Source
Social Sci LibreTexts, The History of Sociology
LibreTexts (Solano Community College)1.2 The History of Sociology, Protestant Work Ethic and Weber
Quote, 1.2 The History of Sociology, Protestant Work Ethic and Weber
Weber departed from positivist sociology, instead emphasizing Verstehen, or understanding, as the goal of sociology.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Bureaucracy
WikipediaAssociated With: Bureaucracy, Max Weber sectionView the Source
Wikipedia: Social Stratification
WikipediaAssociated With: Social Class Stratification, Marx and Weber discussionView the Source
Wikipedia: State (Polity)
WikipediaAssociated With: The StateView the Source
Wikipedia: Sociology of Law
WikipediaAssociated With: LawView the Source
Wikipedia: Robert Michels
WikipediaAssociated With: Robert Michels, Biography sectionView the Source
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