Max Weber the sociologist Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Max Weber the sociologist - Research Paper Example His theories broke new ground, proposing that interpretive, non-empirical evidence can be used to analyze and understand the intentions and actions of individuals within socio-economic groups. Weber’s works put into perspective the effect of culture and religion on economics. Placed within a historical perspective, Weber’s work was bold for the time in that it refutes the notion that there can be a quantifiable gauge for the study of social dynamics. Observation and analysis, skills that served Weber well during his esteemed career, were part of a legacy of academic achievement, passed on to him by his accomplished parents. Weber: A brief biography Born into an affluent family, Weber’s father was trained as an attorney, held a prominent position in the civil service and was a member of the National Liberal Party. Max Weber, Sr.’s involvement in public life exposed his son to a wealth of socio-political ideas, the family’s home being something of a g athering place for many leading intellectuals of the period. The younger Weber thrived in this atmosphere, which inspired him to take up Goethe, whom he read voraciously from a young age as well as many other volumes of classical works (Ringer, 2004). Law school and a brief stint in the military during World War I were followed by the beginnings of a legal career, which further whetted his appetite for research and theory. The early stages of his professional life were marked by social and economic studies inspired by a growing Max Weber 4 progressive movement, which Weber joined in 1888 as a member of the Verein fur Sozialpolitik, a professional association for economists. â€Å"What united the members of the Verein was a belief that reforms were urgently needed in Germany† (Swedberg & Agevall, 2005). The Verein proved to be a stepping stone for Weber, who earned notice for his report on the displacement of workers in East Prussia by Polish emigres (Kim, 2007). Appointments to Freiburg, then Heidelberg University followed. It was at Heidelberg that Weber’s brilliance attracted the attention of other intellectuals, writers and scholars in the charged academic atmosphere of the famous university town. Germany of the late-19th century was a brash new nation, one gripped by hubris and the aggressive policies of the Prussian political ascendancy. The nation’s burgeoning self-confidence gripped many in the intellectual class, including some of Weber’s contemporaries. Refusing to be swept up, Weber remained true to his progressive convictions, venting his feelings about Germany’s increasing predilection for saber rattling. â€Å"(Weber) also wrote passionate polemics in behalf of parliamentary reform and against the annexationist hysteria that seized many of his colleagues†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ringer, 2004). After his father’s death in 1896, Weber’s unresolved, stormy relationship with his parent contributed to a nervous b reakdown, which so debilitated Weber that he was eventually forced to resign from his teaching post and to suspend all scholarly activities. Ironically, Weber’s condition, which led to an abrupt and radical change in his professional life, brought about an intellectual change of direction and priority that would round out his personal philosophy and make him a pioneer in the developing field of social science (Kim, 2007). The resultant study