Max Weber: Max Weber was the great German sociologist and political economist was born on 21 April

1864. He
worked in the field of economics sociology, history, law, politics and philosophy at the university of Berlin, Vienna
and university of Munich. Theories of Max Weber: • Theory of Social Action • Theory of entrepreneurship • Theory
of Stratification
6. The Max Weber’s Theory of Social Action His primary focus was on the subjective meanings that human actors
attach to their actions in their mutual orientations within specific socio-historical contexts. Weber was particularly
interested in how social action is often conceptualized by social actors in terms of means-ends chains. For instance,
a large bureaucratic organization will organize the activity of social individuals by assigning each worker a particular
role in a hierarchy.

7. According to Weber, there are three key terms: 1. Deuten 2. Verstehen 3. Erklaren

8. Deuten: To interpret, to grasp the significance or subjective meaning. Verstehen: To comprehend, to organize the
subjective meaning of human actions into concepts. Erklaren: Sociology studies the different aspects of human
behaviour particularly meaning, purpose and value of the human behaviour.

9. Characteristics of Social Action: The significant characteristics of Weber’s ideas are as follows:  Social action may
be influenced by an action of past, present or future.  Social action presupposes the existence of other individual
and some action by him.  Necessity of subjective meaning.  It is oriented in its course.

10. Stages of Social Action  Rationally-Purposeful action  Value-rational action  Affective action  Traditional
action

11. a) Rationally-Purposeful action: It is the social action that is instrumentally oriented. It occurs when the ends of
action are seen as means to higher, taken-for-granted ends. a) Value-rational action: It occurs when individuals use
effective means to achieve goals that are set by their values. a) Affective action: Emotional and impulsive action that
is an end in itself. a) Traditional action: It occurs when the ends and means of social action are fixed by custom and
tradition.

12. Theory of entrepreneurship helps us to comprehend phenomena better. Understanding theory one can apply
the same in practice more effectively. Various theories of entrepreneurship have been propounded by thinkers they
can be classified in three categories: 1. Sociological 2. Economic 3. Cultural

13. Max Weber has propounded the theory of religious belief. According to him, entrepreneurism is a function of
religious beliefs and impact of religion shapes the entrepreneurial culture. Salient features of his theory are: 1. Spirit
of capitalism. 2. Protestant ethic. 3. Adventurous spirit. 4. Inducement of profit.

14. Spirit of capitalism: Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a study of the relationship
between the ethics of ascetic Protestantism and the emergence of the spirit of modern capitalism. Weber argues
that the religious ideas of groups such as the Calvinists played a role in creating the capitalistic spirit. He argues that
the modern spirit of capitalism sees profit as an end in itself, and pursuing profile as virtuous.

15. Protestant ethic: According to Max Weber the spirit of capitalism can be grown only when the mental attitude in
the society is favorable to capitalism. Adventurous Spirit: Weber also made a distinction between spirit of capitalism
and adventurous spirit. According to him, the former is influenced by the strict discipline whereas the latter is
affected by free force of impulse. Entrepreneurship culture is influenced by both these factors.
16. Inducement of profit: • Weber introduced the new businessman into the picture of tranquil routine. • The spirit
of capitalism intertwined with the motive of profit resulted in creation of greater number of business enterprises.
 17. Theory of Stratification Max Weber formed a three-component theory of stratification in which social
difference is determined by class, status, and power. The three- component theory of stratification, more widely
known as Weberian stratification or the three class system

18. Social stratification : Social stratification, a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy, is
based on four important principles:  Social stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual
differences.  Social stratification carries over from generation to generation.  Social stratification is universal but
variable.  Social stratification involves not just inequality but beliefs as well.

19. Forms of Social Stratification Social stratification assumes different forms in different societies on different
criteria. These forms are slavery,  Estate  Class  Caste

20. Three Sources of Power Class is a person's economic position in a society, based on birth and individual
achievement. Status refers to a person's prestige, social honor, or popularity in a society. Weber noted that political
power was not rooted solely in capital value but also in one's individual status. Poets or saints, for example, can
possess immense influence on society, often with little economic worth. Power refers to a person's ability to get their
way despite the resistance of others. For example, individuals in state jobs, such as an employee of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, or a member of the United States Congress, may hold little property or status, but they still
hold immense power.

21. Comparison of Karl Marx and Max Weber During the nineteenth century, Karl Marx and Max Weber were two of
the most influential sociologists. Both of them tried to explain social change having place in a society at that time.
Their view on this from one hand is very different, but on the other it had a lot of similarities.

22. Marx was only concerned with the economic issues and believed that that issue is a central force that changed
the society. Weber, on the other hand, tried to look at the macro-sociological phenomenon in his explanation Marx
s perspective was not based on the conflict of ideas, but rather on the conflict of classes. This conflict is the results
of a new mode of production. According to Marx, history would consist of epochs of modes of production. He states
that these modes of production are: primitive communism, slave society, feudalism, capitalism, and then socialism
and communism.

23. Marx was concerned with the structure of society rather than the meaning. He thought that it is the class
structure which gave power to the classes. Weber, on the other hand, felt that once feudalism had been abolished
so was the class system. Class in feudal era was determined by one’s blood line. If one were a serf then one’s son or
daughter would be born into the same class status. The same would hold true for any other social status. The next
in line for the throne of the king is his first born son. With change this distinct line between classes vanished. They
both may have different reasons as to causes of change, but they both agree as to what society has become.

24. Critique of Max Weber and Karl Marx Karl Marx Max Weber Religion is nothing more than a method used to
spread the ruling class ideology to the working class. Focuses on economic influence on class system Religion is the
key to explaining the origins of capitalism. Focuses on political and generalizes it to the economics. Economics alone
cannot explain the class system.

25. Conclusion Weber's sociological theories had a great impact on twentieth-century sociology. He developed the
notion of "ideal types,“. Ideal type means ‘Ideal’ is a “conception or a standard of something in its highest perfection.”
It refers to mental image or conception rather than a material object. It is a model. The term type means a kind, class
or group as distinguished by a particular character

26. • According to Weber, religion have a great role in human life and human development. • Ideas, beliefs, values
and world view of human societies that guide the way their members acted even in economic sphere.