Social Theorists
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
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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 Birth YearSourced to the subject's own account Death DateSourced to the subject's own account Death YearSourced to the subject's own account BirthplaceSourced to the subject's own accountErfurt, Province of Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia 1 Death PlaceSourced to the subject's own accountMunich, Bavaria, Weimar Republic 1 Nationality / CultureSourced to the subject's own account Defining ContributionSourced to the subject's own accountDeveloped 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 accountEconomy and Society (1921-1922) 1 Notable WorkSourced to the subject's own accountPolitics as a Vocation (1919) 1 Notable WorkSourced to the subject's own accountThe Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1904-1905) 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Bureaucracy as a sociological concept is essentially Max Weber's own theoretical formulation of rational-legal organization.
Weber's concept of rational-legal authority treats law as formal norms applied impersonally through bureaucratic institutions.
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.
Weber's 1919 monopoly-on-legitimate-force definition is the discipline's most widely cited definition of the state.
Theories Developed
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Business Atlas: Max Weber, the same subject.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Max Weber
WikipediaLead sectionQuote, Lead section
Maximilian Carl Emil Weber was born on 21 April 1864 in Erfurt, Province of Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia
1. Wikipedia: Max Weber
WikipediaDeath sectionQuote, Death section
By 14 June 1920, the cold had turned into influenza and he died of pneumonia in Munich.
1. Wikipedia: Max Weber
WikipediaSociology sectionQuote, 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.
Social Sci LibreTexts, The History of Sociology
LibreTexts (Solano Community College)1.2 The History of Sociology, Protestant Work Ethic and WeberQuote, 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.
Wikipedia: Bureaucracy
Wikipedia: Social Stratification
WikipediaAssociated With: Social Class Stratification, Marx and Weber discussionView the Source Wikipedia: State (Polity)
Wikipedia: Sociology of Law
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