Study Guide 4 - Max Weber (Please remember to only use your own words in all your answers!) 1.

What does the concept of verstehen mean in the social sciences? Weber stated that social scientists have an advantage over scientist that social scientists have to the ability to have a deep understanding of what they are studying, a deep ability for insight (verstehen). Verstehen is not simply intuition, but it is coupled with systematic and thorough research on which to base understanding. . !ow did Weber view the nature of causality? Weber believes that there are both relationships between social phenomena and that it can be random as well his goal was to estimate the degree to which a certain effect is favored by certain conditions. "here are multiple potential causes and a variety of results that may accompany given potential causes. #. $lease briefly describe Weber%s view of the relationship between the $rotestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. "he $rotestant ethic was not tied directly to the structure of the capitalist system, but that it was tied to the &spirit' of capitalism it is not concerned with the rise of capitalism, but lin(ed to how the $rotestant ethic is lin(ed to a &spirit' of capitalism that enabled it to thrive. $rotestantism as a belief system which encourages one to &see( profit rationally and systematically' (&time is money', &be frugal', &be industrious' etc.) succeeded in turning the pursuit of profit into a moral crusade, turning economic success into something desirable and acceptable, while in order societies the pursuit of profit was tied, at least in part, to greed. Weber argues that material conditions have been right before and that capitalism is not due solely to an ac)uisitive instinct humans have that the protestant ethic lined up with the &spirit' of capitalism giving it a foundation to flourish as it did in the West. *. What was Weber%s position regarding the relationship between facts and values? Weber believed that fact and value should be (ept separate that social science cannot tell people what they should do. Values are to be restricted to before social research begins in order to shape the selection of what is chosen to be studied if one is e+pressing a value it should be clearly stated that what is being e+pressed is a value. ,. What is the role of sociology for Weber? "he role of sociology was to develop clear concepts through which one could give an accurate analysis of historical phenomena. -ociology should be used to create type concepts and generali.e uniformities about empirical processes a provider of a framewor( in which accurate analysis could occur. /. What is the goal of Weber%s action theory? 0ction theory focuses on individuals and patterns regarding regularities of action. Weber based his sociological framewor( for analysis largely on forms of action that can occur. 1sing his idea2type methodology he theori.ed * types of action although Weber%s action theory theori.es on the level of the individual he made conclusions about larger

social structures based off of his action theory. !is methodology was aimed at eliminating collectivist notions wanting to understand society from the action of individuals. 3. !ow does Weber%s view of stratification in society differ from 4ar+%s view? 4ar+ viewed society as divided along lines of class with only two e+isting classes the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Weber did not reduce stratification to economic class, but gave it a multidimensional aspect one could be divided along the lines of economic standing, status (social ran(ing), and power (political order). 5. !ow did Weber see bureaucracy and why was he concerned about it? 6ureaucracy was seen as the result of increased rationali.ation in society. "he formal rationali.ation, with its emphasis on efficiency and predictability which supports capitalism, can create the decline of the autonomous and free individual. 7ational systems could lead to people perceiving their relationship to their e+istence and the world as less meaningless, less enchanted8magical. 9. $lease e+plain the three different ways authority is legitimi.ed in Weber%s view. 7ational2:egal; belief in legality of enacted rules and right of those in authority under such rules to issue commands< ta(es many forms, but bureaucracy was considered the purest type efficiency and calculability at the heart of rational2 legal "raditional; based on belief in sanctity of immemorial traditions and legitimacy of those e+ercising authority under such traditions personal loyalty defines the relationship to leader as opposed to impersonal duty under rational2legal =harisma; based on devotion of followers to the alleged vision of the leader (vision of leader often heroic, e+emplary, even supernatural)< charisma resting on how followers conceptuali.e their leader (not how their leader might really be as a person it is unstable and has to be routini.ed to survive which can compromise the charismatic element of the system 1>. What is rationali.ation according to Weber, as described by 7it.er? "he basis of rationali.ation was based in types of action (means2ends or value oriented). Weber was interested in &ob?ectified rationality' action that is in accord with some process of e+ternal systemati.ation. 11. What are some of the various social settings where rationali.ation ta(es place? @conomy professional administration, mar(et economy based on money with a system of accounting defined by calculability 7eligion scared increasingly alterable and sub?ect to being structures by rules and procedure that is systemi.ed :aw increasingly becomes regimented by procedure and rules 0ll of these setting where rationali.ation ta(e place or intertwined and affect the rationali.ation of the other. "he =ity closed settlement, large si.e, mar(etplace, partial political economy, rationally organi.ed an alternative to the feudal order< aids in development of

rational economy 0rt Aorms increasing rationali.ation in art forms, routine procedures based on principles

1 . What did Weber see as the relationship between religion and capitalism in =hina? Bn =hina, =onfucian thin(ing had an emphasis on literary education one was tested in literary (nowledge to gain a position. Weber states that this provided little interest for state of the economy, wealth was not viewed as a sign of salvation there was no idea of salvation in =onfucianism, one was to accept things as they were. "his lac( of tension between religion and the world inhibited the rise of capitalism. "aoism was viewed as a mystical religion the supreme good was a psychic state, not a state of grace to be achieved by conduct in the world. Bt was traditional and was unli(ely to produce any ma?or changed. "here was never enough tension between religion and world to motivate innovative action in the world. 1#. What were some of the obstacles to the development of capitalism in Bndia, according to Weber? "he caste system posed a structural barrier it prevented social mobility and overregulated people%s personal lives. !indus believed that their caste was determined by (arma from past life and that through adherence to ones caste they could advance in ne+t life innovation in economic system could not lead to a higher caste in the ne+t life. 0ctivity in this life was not inherently important world a transient place. !induism failed to produce a more rationally order society.