ABSTRACT
Weber's position in twentieth-century sociology is closely related to his dealing with the basic issues of Western civilization. Hughes states that by destroying the foundation of positivism, which had transformed into empty formulations and formalized idealism, Weber was able to revitalize the great traditions of the Enlightenment. The reading and analysis of certain works by Marx and Engels were not widespread in the environment in which Weber grew up in, but deterministic and economic interpretations of history were fashionable among young German intellectuals and the educated bourgeoisie. The form of Germany's transition into capitalism formed the basic issues and intellectual identities for Weber's generation. Intended to be Marxist in orientation, Rodinson's analysis tries to demonstrate that the arguments Weber puts forward about the role of Protestantism in the development of the capitalist spirit are also present in Islamic societies.
