Introduction -- Part I: Weber's Major Themes and the Foundational Features of His Methodology. Five Civilizations Themes -- The Methodology: Foundational Features and the Mode of Analysis -- Part II: The Conceptual Framework I: The Rationalization of Social Action Models and the Development Models. The Rationalization of Social Action Models: The Overarching Civilizations Theme -- The Rationalization of Social Action Model I: The Rulership Domain -- The Rationalization of Social Action Model II: The Law Domain -- The Rationalization of Social Action Model III: The Religion Domain -- The Rationalization of Social Action Model IV: The Economy Domain -- Part III: The Conceptual Framework II: Expanding its Range and Evaluating its Usefulness. Weber's Further Models Salient to the Analysis of Civilizations -- Evaluating the Conceptual Component: Strengths and Weaknesses of the Civilizations Analytic -- Part IV: The Application of Weber's Mode of Civilizational Analysis I: The Origins, Contours, and Trajectories of the Rationalisms of Ancient China and Ancient and Medieval India. The Unique Rationalism of Ancient China -- The Unique Rationalism of Ancient and Medieval India -- Part V: Applications of Weber's Mode of Civilizational Analysis II: The Origins, Contours, and Trajectory of Western Rationalism and Modern Western Rationalism. The Rationalism of the Ancient West: The Tracks, Monotheism, World-Oriented Salvation Paths, the City, and Ancient Roman Law -- The Uniqueness and Rise of Modern Western Democracy and Egalitarianism -- The Uniqueness and Rise of the Modern State: Legal Equality and Universalism -- The Uniqueness and Rise of Modern Capitalism -- The Uniqueness and Rise of Logical-Formal Law -- The Uniqueness and Rise of the Modern Bureaucracy -- The Uniqueness and Rise of the World-Oriented Ethical Individual -- The Uniqueness and Rise of Western Rationalism and Modern Western Rationalism: An Overview -- Part VI: Toward a Systematic Study of Civilizations: Themes and Methodology Revisited. Weber's Main Themes Revisited -- Weber's Methodology Revisited: The Mode of Analysis -- Part VII: The Interpretive Understanding of Civilizations: A Weberian Guide. Lessons for Today: A Weberian Guide -- The Interpretive Understanding of the Other: Expanding the Researcher's Horizon.
Summary:
"This book investigates civilizations through the works of Max Weber. Articulating his sociology in a manner that provides clear guidelines for the systematic investigation of civilizations, the volume focuses upon his 'big picture' themes: his comparative-historical methodology and his causal explanations for the singular sources, contours, and trajectories of civilizations. Through detailed interpretations of Weber's wide-scope and configurational analysis of the West's unique development from Antiquity to the Modern era, his forceful comparisons to the discrete pathways taken by China and India, and his careful demarcation of the 'particular rationalism' of several civilizations, the author examines Weber's stark opposition to organic holism, mono-causal procedures, and structural presuppositions. As such, this study masterfully conveys his contextual and multi-causal mode of analysis rooted in a tight interweaving of the present with the past. Weber's research strategies also emphasize both the 'subjective meanings' of actors East and West and the deep cultural and long-range origins of their salient groups. In this way, social scientists pursuing a cross-civilizational agenda will be able to discover Weberian 'interpretive understanding' procedures for empirical investigations. Max Weber's Sociology of Civilizations: A Reconstruction will contribute decisively and significantly to the now-essential field of civilizational analysis, and will appeal to comparative sociologists and historians, as well as to social theorists of all persuasions"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.