Essays in Economic Sociology Max Weber ; edited by Richard Swedberg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Weber, Max, 1864-1920.

Contributor:

Swedberg, Richard, 1948-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sociology--Economic aspects.

Economics--Sociological aspects.

Ekonomisk sociologi.

Economics.

Sociology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (vi, 314 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, 1999.

Summary:

The writings of Max Weber (1864-1920) contain one of the most fascinating and sophisticated attempts ever made to create an economic sociology. Economic sociologist and Weber scholar Richard Swedberg has selected the most important of Weber's enormous body of writings on the topic, making these available for the first time in a single volume. The central themes around which the anthology is organized are modern capitalism and its relationships to politics, to law, and to culture and religion; a special section is devoted to theoretical aspects of economic sociology. Swedberg provides a valuable introduction illuminating biographical and intellectual dimensions of Weber's work in economic sociology, as well as a glossary defining key concepts in Weber's work in the field and a bibliographical guide to this corpus. Weber's substantive views on economic sociology are represented in this volume through crucial excerpts from works such as his General Economic History and The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, but the reader can follow his attempt to construct a conceptual foundation for economic sociology in Economy and Society as well. Also included is Weber's celebrated inaugural lecture, "The Freiburg Address," along with a number of central but hitherto inaccessible writings. Though written nearly a century ago, Weber's work has the quality of a true classic, and the reader will find many ideas in his writings on economic topics that remain applicable in today's world. These include Weber's discussion of what is now called social capital, his analysis of the institutions needed for a well-functioning capitalist economy, and his more general attempt to introduce social structure into economic analysis. As this volume demonstrates, what basically motivated Weber to work with economic sociology was a realization shared by many economists and sociologists today: that the analysis of economic phenomena must include an understanding of the social dimension. Guided by volume editor Swedberg, the reader of this anthology discovers the significance and the enduring relevance of Weber's contribution to economic sociology.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

NOTE ON THE TEXTS OF THE READINGS

Introduction

PART I: MODERN CAPITALISM

O N E Modern Capitalism: Key Characteristics and Key Institutions

TWO The Spirit of Capitalism

THREE The Market

FOUR The Beginnings of the Firm

FIVE Class, Status, and Party

PART II: CAPITALISM, LAW, AND POLITICS

SIX The Three Types of Legitimate Domination

SEVEN The Bureaucratization of Politics and the Economy

EIGHT The Rational State and Its Legal System

NINE The National State and Economic Policy (Freiburg Address)

TEN The Social Causes of the Decay of Ancient Civilization

PART III: CAPITALISM, CULTURE, AND RELIGION

ELEVEN The Evolution of the Capitalist Spirit

TWELVE The Protestant Sects and the Spirit of Capitalism

THIRTEEN Kinship and Capitalism in China

FOURTEEN The Caste System in India

FIFTEEN Charity in Ancient Palestine

PART TV: THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC SOCIOLOGY

SIXTEEN Sociological Categories of Economic Action

SEVENTEEN The Area of Economics, Economic Theory, and the Ideal Type

EIGHTEEN Marginal Utility Analysis and "The Fundamental Law of Psychophysics"

GLOSSARY Key Concepts in Weber's Economic Sociology

A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL GUIDE TO WEBER'S ECONOMIC SOCIOLOGY

INDEX

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 291-302) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780691218168

0691218161

OCLC:

1179249545