ABSTRACT
Marx and Weber have been turned into apologists for the very phenomena which they set out to criticise, Marx set up as an apologist for Soviet ‘primitive communism’, Weber as an enthusiastic advocate of bureaucracy, the ‘value-free’ science, and the onward march of rationalisation. To turn to Weber’s published work is immediately to be overwhelmed-sociology of religion, medieval and ancient law and history, sociology of music, action, the city, methodology, charisma. Calvinism encourages asceticism, the gathering of wealth to God’s greater glory, and not for worldly luxury; this accumulation of capital makes possible the transition from feudalism to capitalism. The increasing centralisation of bureaucracy proceeds hand-in-hand with the increasing centralisation of wealth. The nature of Weber’s project becomes further apparent when it is located in the context of his three famous lectures, on politics and knowledge as vocations and on socialism. The lectures reward careful reading.
