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SOCI 331 > M3: Weber > Flashcards

M3: Weber Flashcards

1
Q

What is Weber’s solution to the problem of method

A
  • verstehen

- he rejects naturalism

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2
Q

What should sociology study?

A
  • It should study what is unique to humans

- subjective meanings individuals attach to their own behaviour in everyday life

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3
Q

What does Weber mean by subjective?

A

-subjective means the meaning to the actor

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4
Q

How do we understand subjective meaning?

A

-by studying the intentions, purposes, motives of acting individuals

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5
Q

What does Weber argue about the natural sciences vs. the social sciences?

A
  • they have different subject matter

- generate different kinds of knowledge

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6
Q

What subject matter do the natural and social sciences deal with?

A
  • physical or natural events and objects
  • human action, where action is defined in terms of subjective meaning
  • sociology studies social action
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7
Q

What type of knowledge do the natural and social sciences generate?

A 
Natural:
-universal, unalterable laws of nature
Social sciences:
-historical products 
Regardless, according to Weber sociology is a science
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8
Q

What three things does Weber accept all sciences involve?

A
  • search for truth
  • verification of knowledge through observation
  • objectivity
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9
Q

What is a problem with Weber’s own argument that sociology is a science and what solution does Weber provide?

A
  • problem of objectivity

- value-free sociology is his solution

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10
Q

If Weber wants value-free sociology how does he select a sociological concept?

A

-he allows for values to enter into the selection process

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11
Q

In what way does Weber believe sociology to be a science?

A

-sociology can use the procedures of natural sciences and produce causal explanations

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12
Q

When Weber says, “interpretive understanding of social action,” what does he mean by interpretive understanding?

A

-he is saying that verstehen is the solution to the problem of method

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13
Q

How do sociologists arrive at an interpretive understanding of social action?

A

-they have to use techniques of interpretation that are replicable and verifiable
Two methods:
-direct understanding
-explanatory understanding

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14
Q

What is a direct (observational) understanding?

A
  • understand the meaning of an action through direct observation
  • 2 x 2 =4 and ones facial expressions to deduce their angry
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15
Q

What is an explanatory understanding?

A
  • identify a motivational link between the observed activity and the meaning to the actor through understanding motives, intentions and purposes of actor
  • type of causal explanation
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16
Q

What is the criteria for adequate causal explanation?

A
  • subjective adequacy

- causal adequacy

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17
Q

What is subjective adequacy?

A
  • adequate on the level of meaning
  • subjective meaning is explained in terms of the meaning assigned by the actor
  • criterion is conformity to habitual modes of thought and feelings
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18
Q

What is causal adequacy?

A
  • criterion for this is predicting from knowledge and experience that something will follow something else in society (this is the same as Durkheim)
  • “somethings” means meaningful actions (Weber’s twist)
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19
Q

Why does Weber use both subjective and causal adequacy as criteria for an adequate causal explanation?

A

He is trying to integrate two contradictory views of the nature of social sciences:

  • anti-naturalists demand for interpretive understanding of subjective meaning
  • naturalist demand for causal explanation
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20
Q

What is Weber’s solution to the problem of agency?

A
  • micro-macro linkage
  • “there is no such thing as a collective personality that acts…collectivities must be treated solely as the resultants and modes of organization of the particular acts of particular persons.”
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21
Q

Can macro extremism go with verstehen?

A

No

22
Q

What is the point of the book the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism?

A
  • sets out Weber’s explanation of the origins of modern capitalism which differ from Marx’s explanation
  • ask the question: why did modern capitalism emerge in Western Europe rather than in one of the other great civilizations?
23
Q

What are ideal types?

A
  • methodological tools for the scientific study of human societies
  • analytical concepts constructed by social scientists to capture essential features of a social phenomenon
  • one sided exaggerations of what goes on in the real world
24
Q

What are ideals types useful for?

A

-useful in empirical research

25
Q

What was Weber’s point of departure for his book?

A

-a well documented statistical fact that there is a positive relationship between being protestant and being economically successful in modern capitalist societies

26
Q

How does Weber explain the statistical fact?

A
  • assesses the content of modern capitalism and protestantism
  • documents influence of Protestantism on the economic behaviour of believers
27
Q

What is the spirit of capitalism (the defining characteristics of modern capitalism)?

A

-the orientation to economic activity that involves accumulation of wealth for its own sake rather than for what it can buy

28
Q

Why do individuals accumulate wealth without pleasure in modern capitalism?

A

-protestant ethic and calvinism

29
Q

What does the Protestant ethic say (ideal type)?

A
  • the highest form of moral obligation is to fulfill ones duty in worldly affairs
  • high religious value on economic activity
  • labour is positive and only becomes negative when it supports an idle lifestyle
30
Q

Why does Calvinism place a high religious value on economic activity?

A
  • according to Calvinism, working in a calling is the task set by God
  • every hour lost is an hour lost to labour for the glory of God
31
Q

What does Weber use to construct his ideal type of the Protestant ethic?

A

-only looks at and exaggerates economic behaviour under Calvinism

32
Q

What do calvinists believe according to Weber?

A
  • universe exists for the glory of god
  • God’s motives are beyond human comprehension
  • Predestination
33
Q

What is predestination?

A
  • only a small number of believers are chosen for eternal salvation
  • whether an individual is saved or not is an immutable fact ordained by God at conception
  • nobody knows if they are one of the elect except Calvin
34
Q

What is a result from all other believes under Calvinism except Calvin not knowing if they are being saved ?

A
  • all other believers face unprecedented loneliness

- under this loneliness the spirit of capitalism is born

35
Q

What is the logical response to predestination?

A

-fatalism: a belief that events are predetermined and human beings are powerless to change things

36
Q

Do calvinists follow the logical response to predestination?

A
  • No
  • they adopt attitudes and practices that are inconsistent with their theological beliefs
  • they look for external signs of salvation and try to live a life that would yield these signs
37
Q

What was an external indicator of someone being saved?

A

-accumulation of wealth for the pleasures it could buy was sinful however, to accumulate wealth and save it as the fruits of ones labour was a sign of the elect

38
Q

Overtime, what practices of Calvinists resulted in modern capitalism?

A
  • it was obligatory to regard oneself as chosen
  • and you demonstrated your status of chosen through wealth
  • thus, the origins of the spirit of capitalism are found in the protestant ethic
39
Q

What is the motivation of the spirit of capitalism and the protestant ethic?

A

They are not the same thing but channel economic behaviour in the same direction:
Spirit:
-solely motivated towards money as end in itself
Protestant ethic:
-oriented solely towards salvation

40
Q

What is one of the causes of the rise of modern capitalism?

A

-Protestant ethic

41
Q

Does Weber view the relationship between religion and economics the same way Marx does?

A
  • No
  • Weber says religion is not merely a reflection of economic conditions however, economic conditions are important in the rise of modern capitalism
  • Marx argues the only causes of capitalism are economic causes
42
Q

What does Weber argue change is?

A

-change is causal not deterministic

43
Q

What is the most important factor in the rise of modern capitalism in Western Europe?

A

Protestant ethic

44
Q

Is the protestant ethic necessary for the maintenance of modern capitalism?

A
  • No
  • because modern individuals are forced to work in a calling whereas before they wanted to work in a calling because of religious beliefs
  • thus, no Calvinists are not needed to maintain modern capitalism it maintains itself
45
Q

What is one of the central themes unique to Western civilization as used by Weber?

A

-rationalization

46
Q

What does rationalization involve?

A
  • impersonality
  • refinement of techniques of calculation
  • enhanced importance of specialized knowledge
  • extension of technically rational control
47
Q

What is impersonality?

A
  • depersonalization of social relationships

- example is bureaucracy because the importance is in the position not the people

48
Q

What is the refinement of techniques of calculation?

A

-techniques for counting

49
Q

What does it mean to have an enhanced importance of specialized knowledge?

A

-to act rationally we act on knowledge

50
Q

What are the consequences of the rationality characteristic of modern Western civilizations?

A

-there is a distinction between formal rationality and substantive rationality

51
Q

What is the spirit of capitalism (not definition)?

A
  • an ideal type

- unique to modern capitalism

SOCI 331 (11 decks)

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