Weberian Sociological Theory (Cambridge Paperback Library) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Max Weber had many intellectual interest, and there has been considerable debate over the question of what constitutes the central theme of his life work..." (more)
Key Phrases: agrarian state societies, religious capitalism, capitalist takeoff, Middle Ages, Soviet Union, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Randall Collins convincingly argues that much of Max Weber's work has been misunderstood, and that many of his most striking and sophisticated theories have been overlooked. By analysing hitherto little known aspects of Weber's writings, Professor Collins is able both to offer a new interpretation of Weberian sociology and to show how the more fruitful lines of the Weberian approach can be projected to an analysis of current world issues. Professor Collins begins with Weber's theory of the rise of capitalism, examining it in the light of Weber's later writings on the subject and extending the Weberian line of reasoning to suggest a 'Weberian revolution' in both medieval Europe and China. He also offers a new interpretation of Weber's theory of politics, showing it to be a 'world-system' model; and he expands this into a theory of geopolitics, using as a particular illustration the prediction of the future decline of Russian world power. Another 'buried treasure' in the corpus is Weber's conflict theory of the family as sex and property, which Professor Collins applies to the historical question of the conditions that led to the initial rise in the status of women. The broad view of Weber's works shows that Weberian sociology remains intellectually alive and that many of his theories still represent the frontier of our knowledge about large-scale social processes.

Book Description

Although he is undoubtedly one of the most important sociologists of all time, this text argues that much of Weber's work has been misunderstood and many of his most notable theories neglected or even overlooked. A new interpretation of his works is accordingly offered by the author herein.

Product Details

• Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 28, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521314267
• ISBN-13: 978-0521314268
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
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• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,521,697 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)