soci 301/321 foundations of social thought · 2017. 9. 19. · college of education school of...

College of Education

School of Continuing and Distance Education 2014/2015 – 2016/2017

SOCI 301/321

Foundations of Social Thought

Session 10 – MAX WEBER (1864-1920)

Lecturer: Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, UG Contact Information: [email protected]

godsonug.wordpress.com/blog

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

Session Overview

Slide 2 Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, Sociology Dept. UG

This session and the next two examine the works and ideas of Max Weber

Goals and Objectives

At the end of this session, you should be able to:

•give an biographical account of Max Weber

•identify the major books he published

•Explain his leading ideas and views about the nature of the historic transformation of society

•Explain the structure and function of modern capitalist society

•compare and contrast his ideas and views with the earlier founders you have studied •apply his ideas and theories to understand society, aspects of it and human behavior

•Identify his contribution to sociology

Session Outline


The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• A Brief biographical background of Max Weber

• Weber major concepts and his sociology

Reading List


• ALLAN K. (2005) EXPLORATIONS IN CLASSICAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY: SEEING THE SOCIAL WORLD, LONDON: PIN FORGE PRESS

• ASHLEY D. AND D. M. ORENSTEIN (2001) SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY: THE CLASSICAL STATEMENTS, BOSTON: ALLYN AND BACON.

• DZORGBO, D-B. S. (2013) SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY: CLASSICAL IDEAS AND

THEIR APPLICATION IN THE AFRICAN CONTEXT, ACCRA: WOELI PUBLISHING SERVICES

• DZORGBO D-B. S. (2009) SOCIOLOGY: FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIAL THOUGHT: LEGON-ACCRA: CENTER FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF GHANA.

• RITZER G. (20O8) SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY, BOSTON: MCGRAW HILL

• RITZER G. & DOUGLAS J. GOODMAN, (2004) CLASSICAL SOCIOLOGICAL

THEORY, BOSTON: MCGRAW HILL

Topic Three: Max Weber (1864-1920)

• Max Weber (pronounced Vay-ber). Was German Sociologist

• Marx, Durkheim and Weber are the most influential founders of sociology

• Sociologists should uncover or study the feelings and thoughts of individuals—using the method of Verstehen (fehr-shtay-en)

• Ideal type concept • Value-free sociology • Societal evolution or social change is

a rationalization process • Modernity and industrialization would not necessarily lead to happiness • Humanity would be trapped in an ͞iroŶ Đage of ratioŶalitǇ͟


Max Weber: Biography


• Max Weber (pronounced VayberͿ ǁas ďorŶ iŶ Erfurt, GerŵaŶǇ, oŶ April Ϯϭ, ϭ864. Maǆ Weďer’s father was a lawyer and bureaucrat who rose to a relatively important political position.

• His father was a man who loved to enjoy earthly pleasures.

• Max Weďer’s ŵother ǁas, hoǁeǀer, a deǀout CalǀiŶist, a ǁoŵaŶ ǁho sought to lead aŶ asĐetiĐ life largelǇ

devoid of the pleasures craved by her husband. Her concerns were more otherworldly; she was worried by imperfections and held the view that that they were signs that she was not go to Heaven or destined for salvation.

• • At the age of 18, Weber went to the University of Heidelberg to study. • He Đhose his father’s Đareer: laǁ. But after three terŵs at Heidelďerg, Weďer left for ŵilitarǇ serǀiĐe aŶd returned to Berlin in 1884. • He trained at the University of Berlin for eight years and got his PhD and became a lawyer. Weber

became a lecturer at the University of Berlin and shifted his interest to economics, history and sociology.

• In 1896, he became a professor of economics at the University of Heidelberg and in 1897, when his intellectual career was blossoming his father died after a violent argument between them.

• Shortly after Weber began showing signs of nervous breakdown and took rest from work. He later

traveled to the US and delivered a lecture and began to recuperate his academic energy.

Weďer: BiographǇ ;ĐoŶt’dͿ


• In 1905, Weber published his best-known work The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of capitalism: a ǁork ǁhiĐh raised his ŵother’s religion to the level of academic discussion. Although Weber hiŵself ǁas Ŷot persoŶallǇ religious, he ǁorked oŶ ǁorld’s religioŶ in world-historical perspective.

• At the time of his death (June 14, 1920) Weber was working on

another important work Economy and Society which was published posthumously, albeit it remains unfinished.

• Weber founded the German Sociological Association in 1910. His

home was used for intellectual discussions where great minds such as Georg Simmel, Robert Michels, his brother Alfred Weber, and philosopher and literary critic Georg Lukacs often met. He also wrote on many issues of his days as he was politically engaged.

Weďer’s BasiĐ CoŶĐepts ;ĐoŶt’dͿ


• Social Action Definition

• Types of Social Action

(i)Goal-Oriented Social Action

(ii) Value Oriented Social Action

(iii) Affective Social Action

(iv) Traditional Social Action



• Rationalization

• The methodology of Sociology:

(i) Subjectivity

(ii) Verstehen

(iii) Causality and Probability



• Ideal Types (definition and example)

• Value Free Sociology/Social science (the debate and controversies: Alvin Gouldner, Robert Lynd &Howard Becker



• Power and Domination

• Legitimate/Authority and Illegitimate Power

• Patterns of Authority

• (i) Traditional Authority

• (ii) Charismatic Authority

• (iii) Rational-Legal Authority

soci 301/321 foundations of social thought · 2017. 9. 19. · college of education school of...

Documents