Weber's Rationalism and Modern Society

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

   PDF

2. Max Weber’s Sociology in the Twenty-first Century

   • Tony Waters, Dagmar Waters

   Pages 1-17

3. Max Weber’s Writing as a Product of World War I Europe

   • Tony Waters, Dagmar Waters

   Pages 19-28

4. Translation Notes—Special Highlighted Terms in Weber’s Sociological Writings

   • Tony Waters, Dagmar Waters

   Pages 29-36

5. The Distribution of Power Within the Gemeinschaft: Classes, Stände, Parties

   • Tony Waters, Dagmar Waters

   Pages 37-58

6. Discipline and Charisma

   • Tony Waters, Dagmar Waters

   Pages 59-71

7. Bureaucracy

   • Tony Waters, Dagmar Waters

   Pages 73-127

8. Politics as Vocation

   • Tony Waters, Dagmar Waters

   Pages 129-198

9. Back Matter

   Pages 199-233

   PDF

Weber's Rationalism and Modern Society rediscovers Max Weber for the twenty-first century. Tony and Dagmar Waters' translation of Weber's works highlights his contributions to the social sciences and politics, credited with highlighting concepts such as "iron cage," "bureaucracy," "bureaucratization," "rationalization," "charisma," and the role of the "work ethic" in ordering modern labor markets. Outlining the relationship between community (Gemeinschaft), and market society (Gesellschaft), the issues of social stratification, power, politics, and modernity resonate just as loudly today as they did for Weber during the early twentieth century.

• community
• Max Weber
• politics
• sociology

"Max Weber survives the many criticisms of his oeuvre because he, more than any other sociologist of his generation, captured the spirit of modernity and in the process developed a scientific vocabulary (such as class, status, and party) that is constitutive of modern sociology. He also conjured up a range of metaphors (the iron cage and the disenchantment of the world) that continue to inspire the sociological imagination. Tony and Dagmar Waters have captured the essence of Weber's world-view and provided fresh and lucid translations of his key ideas. Students young and old are consequently indebted to their lively rendition of the classic texts." - Bryan S. Turner, Presidential Professor, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, USA

"Finally, a fresh and approachable Weber for the 21st century! Tony and Dagmar Waters have given us new and clear translations, capturing the verve and crackle of Weber's penetrating thought. With their brilliant introduction, modern students will have a much easier time understanding the importance of Weber's sociology. For everyone concerned about state power, the growth of bureaucracy, inequality, the power of religion and leadership, and the anxieties of modern life in short, the critical elements of modern society these new translations will be a revelation. There is no better place to start the study of Weber, or sociological theory, than this book. - Jack A. Goldstone, Hazel Professor of Public Policy, George Mason University, USA

"Weber's Rationalism and Modern Society is an indispensable source of knowledge for anyone interested in the comprehensive study of the most significant social, cultural, and political developments that have shaped large parts of the world since the rise of modernity. Tony and Dagmar Waters' translations of Max Weber's key texts are of supreme quality. This collection has succeeded in illustrating the immense relevance of Weberian thought to a critical understanding of global trends in the twenty-first century." - Simon Susen, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, City University London, UK

Tony Waters is Professor of Sociology at California State University, Chico, USA. He is the author of Schooling, Bureaucracy, and Childhood: Bureaucratizing the Child (2012), When Killing is a Crime (2007), Bureaucratizing the Good Samaritan (2001), and other books. He has taught as a Guest Professor at Leuphana University, Germany, and Zeppelin University, Germany.

Dagmar Waters is Lecturer in the Teaching International Languages Program at California State University, Chico, USA. She is a graduate of Cologne University, Germany, where she majored in Education and Geography. She has taught in Tanzania, Germany, and the United States.

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