Max Weber Social Theory

MAX WEBER

Karl Emily Maximilian Weber is renowned for his writings and views in various fields like sociology, political economy, philosopher and jurist. His ideas and views on the following subjects had a great impact and influenced social theory and social research.

Like many of the theorists of his time, Max’s preoccupation with understanding the origins and implications of Capitalism is evident in his writings. Some of his major contributions to the field of Sociology on the concepts of Authority, Rationalizatio n and Protestant Ethics as the driving forces of capitalism.

According to Max, Capitalism as a way of production was radically different from all other forms of production that had existed previously. A prime reason for this was

Weber defines a modern state as “a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory [Weber 1919/1994, 310].” According to Weber’s theory there are three kinds of leaders- charismatic, traditional and bureaucratic. He identified 3 types of Authorities. Traditional Authority owes its source to customary practices. Certain practices and institutions exist for so long that they are transmitted from one generation to another and as a consequence people accept their authority

According to him, due to changes in social action, the modern society came into being. People were becoming modernized in their thinking people started putting away the superstitions and the traditions that were being carried on for centuries. People started participating in more capitalistic or more account efficient work which was more calculative based than their traditional beliefs. Weber said that development of science, modern technology and bureaucracy is rationalization. Rationalization gave rise to capitalism which lead to industrial revolution. Weber used the word ‘disenchantment’ to describe how scientific thinking was taking over traditions. Weber was very positive about rationalization and about how capitalism was helping the economy grow, but even then he was a little concerned with the spread of modernization because he thought we will be caught up in the ‘steel hard cage’ which will be formed because of bureaucracy and escaping from it would be very difficult. If the society gets dominated by capitalism or bureaucracy it would hamper the human spirit to regulate the social life. He thought that capitalism would suffocate and affect the bureaucracy and hence would effect the democracy. Overall the development of the state economically and politically was very successful there was growth in wealth and the people were actually happier by rejecting the traditional ideas, customs, way of