Max Weber Flashcards
Week Four
social interaction and institutions become increasingly governed by
methodical procedures and calculable rules.
Rationalization: Weber
refers to his emphasis on the role of ideas, beliefs, and values in
shaping social structures and historical developments
Idealism: Weber
refers to an organized system of administration characterized by
hierarchical authority, a clear division of labor, formal rules, and impersonal
relationships.
Bureaucracy: Weber
-Weber argued that certain Protestant
denominations, especially Calvinism,
played a key role in shaping the “spirit of capitalism.”
-Spirit of capitalism: discipline, hard
work, and frugality.
-In contrast to Marx, who argued that
material conditions drive history.
The Spirit of Capitalism
Weber’s Main Argument:
discipline, hard
work, and frugality.
Spirit of capitalism
Protestants viewed work as a divine calling, making everyday labor a sacred duty.
-Encouraged individuals to pursue their occupations with moral purpose,
elevating the importance of work.
The Spirit of Capitalism
1. The Concept of a “Calling
Protestant asceticism promoted a lifestyle of self-denial and reinvestment of wealth, discouraging luxury and indulgence.
-This led to disciplined financial behavior, fostering conditions for capital accumulation
The Spirit of Capitalism
2. Asceticism and Economic Behavior
Calvinists believed in
predestination, creating anxiety about salvation.
-Hard work and success in one’s calling were seen as signs of being among the elect, driving individuals to labor diligently and methodically.
The Spirit of Capitalism
3. Predestination and Hard Work:
-Religious roots faded yet capitalism became a system driven by relentless work and wealth accumulation.
-Traps individuals in a cycle of labor without deeper spiritual meaning – Weber’s “iron cage” metaphor.
The Spirit of Capitalism
4. The “Iron Cage” of Modern Capitalism:
Weber aims to describe the components of
rationalized bureaucratic institutions.
1. Hierarchy of Authority
2. Specialization
3. Meritocracy and Credentials
4. Explicit Standardized Rules
5. Impersonality
6. Demand full working capacity
Bureaucracy
- Efficiency
- Predictability
- Accountability
Pros of Bureaucracy
- Inflexible
- Dehumanization
- Institutional inertia
Cons of Bureaucracy
individual’s relationship
to the means of production.
-Influenced by one’s economic
interests, property ownership, or
lack thereof.
Class, Status, and Party
1. Class:
Status groups are social
communities that share a common lifestyle, based on a
social evaluation of honor.
-Rely upon social closure or restricting access to their
group to preserve privilege and prestige.
-Being granted respect and recognition by others.
-Honor can come from lineage, lifestyle, or association with
institutions.
Class, Status, and Party
2. Status Group (Stände):
organizations that exist in the realm of power,
aiming to influence collective decisions and actions.
* Parties primarily operate in the political sphere and are
focused on attaining social power to influence collective
action.
Class, Status, and Party
3. Party:
The probability that
specific commands will be
obeyed by a group of
people.
What is authority (domination)
-Derives its legitimacy from age-old customs and
traditions.
-The belief in the sanctity of traditions.
-Authority is inherited or passed down through generations,
often linked to family ties, customs, or religious beliefs.
-Decision-making is often personal allowing for leader
discretion.
Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud
(Ideal) Types of
Legitimate Authority
1. Traditional Authority
-Founded on the extraordinary qualities
of an individual.
-Is often revolutionary challenging
established systems or bringing about
new ways of thinking.
(Ideal) Types of Legitimate Authority
2. Charismatic Authority
-Based on the belief in the
legality of established rules and
the authority of those appointed
to enforce these rules.
-Obedience is owed to the
impersonal order
represented by the law.
-Buttressed by Bureaucracies.
(Ideal) Types of Legitimate Authority
Legal (rational) Authority
Durkheim defines social facts as ______.
a. social phenomena that are universally valid
b. rituals that create social solidarity in a community
c. the scientific knowledge base for economic planning
d. conditions outside of individuals shaping their actions
e. predestination of certain groups
d. conditions outside of individuals shaping their actions
According to Weber, what motivates individuals to pursue worldly success?
a. they want to donate their money to religious charities.
b. they aspire to advance to the capitalist class.
c. they are showing they are committed to Calvinism, not Catholicism.
d. they want to follow their calling to know if they are saved.
e. interdependence between a variety of actors and institutions.
d. they want to follow their calling to know if they are saved.
