ABSTRACT
This volume outlines Max Weber’s comparative-historical sociology of "interpretive understanding" (verstehen) in a manner that clarifies his complex mode of analysis and multi-causal focus. Presenting the central features of his methodology, it demonstrates the strengths of his research strategies through discussions of his major works and overarching concerns. Among other themes, this study addresses the origins of the American political culture, the longevity of its civic sphere, and the multiple causes behind the unique historical pathways followed by several civilizations. Indeed, through summaries of Weber’s procedures and their application in his own empirical studies, Max Weber’s Sociology sustains a simultaneous orientation to his "big picture" themes and his rigorous manner of analysis. It demonstrates in so doing the capacity of Weber’s sociology to ground firmly both “ideal-type” theorizing and empirically oriented investigations. This volume will appeal to scholars throughout the social sciences with interests in the American civic sphere, the West’s uniqueness, ”the Protestant ethic thesis,” the multiple ways that civilizations develop, and the diverse twists and turns of Weber’s comparative-historical sociology.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|72 pages
“The Protestant Ethic Thesis,” the Protestant Sects, and the American Reception
chapter 4|31 pages
American Sociology's Neglect of The Protestant Ethic as a Theoretical Treatise
part II|23 pages
Beyond The Protestant Ethic
chapter 6|17 pages
“Ideas and Interests”
part III|73 pages
The Origins, Uniqueness, and Pathway of the American Political Culture
chapter 7|32 pages
Tocqueville and Weber on the Sociological Origins of Citizenship
part IV|85 pages
The Sociology of Civilizations