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Values and concepts in Max Weber's comparative studies
Author(s) -
BENDIX Reinhard
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
european journal of political research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.267
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1475-6765
pISSN - 0304-4130
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-6765.1987.tb00889.x
Subject(s) - epistemology , materialism , sociology , idealism , ideal (ethics) , positive economics , position (finance) , ideal type , historical materialism , function (biology) , politics , philosophy , economics , social science , law , political science , marxist philosophy , finance , evolutionary biology , biology
. This restatement of Max Weber's methodological position takes as its point of departure a point‐by‐point response to a critique by Talcott Parsons of the author's rejection of system, function and evolution as basic concepts of sociological theory – and of studies of political development. In turn, Weber's position that is ‘intermediate’ between materialism and idealism, the purpose of his typological approach, and of his comparative studies are discussed. The last part of the paper restates Weber's position on ‘ideal types’ and examines their assets and liabilities through an analysis of contrast‐conceptions.