To grasp Weber's research program, to penetrate to the intellectual core of his methodological writings, has always been the aspiration of all those affected by Weber's thought. Since his death, repeated efforts have been made to establish the definitive approach to his work and his life. The studies in this volume are dedicated to presenting at least one unified approach to little-understood aspects of Weber's research program. Taking the overall development of Weber's work into account, Schluchter reconstructs Weber's research program from a comprehensive point of view that balances historical research and systematic thought with a biographical perspective.
For Schluchter, Weber's studies in the sociology of religion and politics provide a psychological as well as sociological analysis of Weltanschauungen. Aimed at comparing and explaining the ultimate possible stances toward the world that humanity has taken and the modes of life conduct connected to them, Weber's studies must also be viewed as an attempt to locate one's own stance toward the world within the history of humanity and, by means of reflection, to obtain critical distance from it.
For Schluchter, Weber's studies in the sociology of religion and politics provide a psychological as well as sociological analysis of Weltanschauungen. Aimed at comparing and explaining the ultimate possible stances toward the world that humanity has taken and the modes of life conduct connected to them, Weber's studies must also be viewed as an attempt to locate one's own stance toward the world within the history of humanity and, by means of reflection, to obtain critical distance from it.
