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Name:
Max Weber
Dates:
Born: April 21, 1864 in Erfurt, Germany
Died: June 14, 1920 (pneumonia)
Specialization:
Sociology
Major Works:
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1902)
The Sociology of Religion (1920)
Economy and Society (1922)
The Methodology of the Social Sciences (1949)
Biography:
Max Weber was a German sociologist responsible for many of the principles still used
in modern sociology, and his works dealt with a wide variety of social topics.
According to Weber, purely economic and technological analyses of society are
insufficient, but religious and ethical issues are much more important than commonly
assumed.
With regards to religion, his contribution cannot be underestimated because, along with Durkheim, he essentially created the field of the sociology of religion. In particular, he investigated the manner in which religion interacted with social, cultural, and economic factors to produce unique social situations which would not appear in other contexts.
The point was, in essence, that religion should be studied because of the insight which could be gained about humanity in general and society in general; Weber did not study religion for its own sake. This is a good example of a reductionist methodology which has been rejected by other researchers. For many, religion represents something special and unique which must be considered in its own right.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
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