Compare And Contrast Karl Marx And Max Weber

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Karl Marx and Max Weber are two of the most significant and influential theorists and sociologists of the 19th century. Both examined very similar ideas but had very different conclusions and are now famously known as ‘The Founding Fathers of Sociology’. One of the Crucial contributions to sociology is both sociologists views and findings on class and equality. Karl Marx found that class was categorised by the means of production. Almost half a century later Max Weber contrasted, class was based on three things Power, Wealth, And Prestige.
Throughout this assignment I will compare and contrast the views in which Karl Marx and Max Weber had on the sociological importance of the economy. I will gather evidence from various sources to show both …show more content…

His most influential theory was he believed that it was the protestant faith which was linked with capitalism not exploitation which Karl Marx believed. Weber thought the protestant beliefs and ethics were the catalyst to the capitalism system. Weber believed it was not the Protestant ethic that caused capitalism but it provided the necessary moral in which capitalism could happen. It was both the Industrial revolution and capitalism in which massively impacted changes to happen. It was this in which Weber used to make a link between religious ideas and social change. Calvinism (16th and 17th century) is a branch of Protestantism that believed few were chosen by god to go to heaven. Accumulation of wealth was the sign of those chosen. This attitude and ethic caused people to try accumulate more capital and invest more in order to gain more. “The fulfilment of duty in worldly affairs is the highest form of moral activity” (Sztompka). This he interpreted as an encouragement within the protestant faith to work hard and save money which then resulted in the division in labour and social class. The people of this faith Were driven to work hard and save their money instead of spending it. They invested it into their businesses. As a result of this it meant that when the industrial revolution needed a large investment of capital, there were this particular group of people within society with good work ethics and money to

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