Max Weber

Max Weber's most famous and most controversial work was The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, published in 1904 and 1905. In that book he traced the influence of religious ideas upon the conduct of men and challenged the Marxist thesis that man's consciousness is determined by his social class. This study of the German political economist by Professor Bendix of the University of California is an exposition of Weber's theories of political sociology and the sociology of religion. Part One: German Society and the Protestant Ethic deals with Weber's studies of farm laborers in eastern Germany and of the stock exchange along with Weber's exploration of how certain types of Protestantism came to favor the rational pursuit of economic gain. Part Two: Society, Religion and Secular Ethic: A Comparative Study of Civilizations deals with Weber's work on the sociology of religion discussing Weber's studies of China, India and ancient Judaism. Part Three: Domination, Organization and Legitimacy: Max Weber's Political Sociology is an examination of Weber's concept of domination together with his sociology of law and his political writings. Although the book is obviously written for the student of economics and sociology and the serious reader the author's style is clear, free of the ponderousness which his subject matter might produce. There is a brief outline of Weber's teaching and scholarly career and bibliographical notes on Weber's writing. (Kirkus Reviews)