kalberg - weber types of rationalism

7/27/2019 Kalberg - Weber Types of Rationalism

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Max Weber's Types of Rationality: Cornerstones for the Analysis of Rationalization Processesin HistoryAuthor(s): Stephen KalbergSource: The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 85, No. 5 (Mar., 1980), pp. 1145-1179Published by: The University of Chicago PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2778894Accessed: 15/12/2010 10:12

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American ournal fSociology(CESR). Moreover, heir efinitionso not coincidewithWeber'svarioushistorical-sociologicalnalysesof the paths followedby rationalizationprocesses n differentivilizations. onald Levine's 1979) recent iscus-sion of Weber's notionof "rationality" voids these difficultiesy ad-hering argely o Weber'sterminology,et he does not comprehensivelydiscuss this concept,nor does he touch on the ssue of the manner nwhichthe types of rationalityombine r struggle gainstone anotherin history s separaterationalizationrocesses. urthermore,ike UlrikeVogel's 1973) and Ann Swidler's 1973) expositions,evine'sdistinctionbetweenWeber's types of social action and his types of rationalitysinsufficientlyifferentiated.

Many explorations f Weber's understandingf "rationality"havefailedto emphasize ts multivalentmbodiments.his approach s mostclearlyrepresentedy theassertion hat rationalizationrocessesnWe-ber's corpus amount to nothingmore than a "disenchantmentf theworld,"2 ureaucratization,r an increasingack of freedom. thercom-mentators ave discussed ationalizations tantamountnly o an increas-ing pervasivenessf the means-endzweckrational) ypeof social action(Nelson 1973,p. 85; Munch1980). Still other uthors ave limited heirexaminationsfWeber'snotion f "rationality" nd its manifestationsnhistorical ationalizationrocesses o specific pheres f life, uch as thereligious phere Tenbruck1975).Weber himselfs largelyresponsibleorthe lack of clarity hat sur-roundshis analyses of "rationality" nd the interplay f multifacetedhistorical ationalizationrocesses.His scattered nd fragmentediscus-sionsof this theme re more ikelyto mystifyhan to illuminatee.g.[1946] 1958f,pp. 293-94 [266]; [1930] 1958a, pp. 26 [11-12], 77-78[62]; 1968, pp. 30 [15], 85 [44], 424 [259], 809 [468], 333 [195-96];1951,p. 226 [512]; 1952,pp. 425-26,n. 1 [1-2]; see n. 2 regarding agenumbersn brackets) nd,despite ts centrality,e nowhere ffers suc-cinct xplanationfthis heme. is contortedtyle fwritinglsohampersall attemptso take an inventoryfhis majorusagesof"rationality"nd''rationalization rocesses," s does his frequent arelessness: ince theappropriate ualifying djectiveoften ails to precede rational" n his2This misinterpretationesults n part from the frequent ranslation f Entzauberungas "disenchantment." ntzauberung-literally, de-magification"-has a very specificsignificance or Weber: it is one of the two major axes followed by rationalizationprocesses n the arena of religion 1951, p. 226 [512]; all references o Weber's textsgive the English translationfirst, ollowed n brackets by the page numbers of theoriginalGerman; bibliographic nformation bout the latter appears in the list of ref-erences). t relatesparticularly o religious ationalization rocesses n the West, begin-ning with ancient Judaism, nd characterizes specially the transformation rom me-dieval Catholicism o Calvinism. Disenchantment," far more general term that con-jures up images of the romanticist'syearningfor the Gemeinschaftnd an earlier,"simpler" world, has not the slightest elationship o Weber's usage of Entzauberung.1146


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Weber'sTypesofRationalitywritings, he student f Weber is generallyeftwith a choicebetweenconcluding hathis usage is indeedunilinear nd undertakinghe un-appealing ask of systematicallyxamininghe hundreds f passages nwhich this termappears. Because of the varied translationsf Ratio-nalismus, ationalitit,3nd Rationalisierung,s well as relatedkey termsin the numerous nglish editionsofWeber's writings,he reader whodoesnothave accessto the German exts onfronts hopeless ituation.This articleexhaustivelyurveysWeber's usage of "rationality" nd"rationalization"s these erms ppear n his major omparative-historical-sociologicalworkswrittenfter 904: E&S and the CESR.4 The selectionofthese writings,ather han themethodologicalr political ssays,hasbeen determined y another im of this article: to reconstruct,t thepurely onceptualevel,Weber'svision f a multiplicityfrationalizationprocesses hat variously onflict nd coalesce withone another t all so-cietal and civilizationalevels.5Because the discrete ypes f rationalityconstitutehecornerstonesor heserationalizationrocesses,n inventoryof their efiningeatures nd interrelationshipss they ppear nWeber'scomparative ociologymust serve as the necessary rerequisiteor sucha reconstruction."efore crutinizinghe typesof rationality, owever,number f preliminaryssues shouldbe dealt with n order o avoid un-necessary onfusion.I. GENERAL FEATURES OF WEBER'S TYPES OF RATIONALITYAND RATIONALIZATIONThe conceptual tatusof Weber'sfour ypes f rationalityn relation ohis four ypesofsocial action willbe clarifiedn this section, s well as3 This and thepreceeding erm re used synonymously yWeber.They have been gen-erally translated s "rationality," houghoccasionallyas "rationalism.""Rationality"as well as "irrationality"will be repeatedly laced in quotationmarks n thisarticle norder to emphasizethe exclusiveconcern here withWeber's distinctive sage of theseterms.4 This three-volumework includes The Religion of China, The Religion of India,AncientJudaism, nd The Protestant thic and theSpirit of Capitalism as well as the"Author's Introduction." t also includes threeessays printed n Gerth and Mills'sFrom Max Weber: Essays in Sociology (see Weber [1946] 1958c, 1958d, and 1958f):"The Protestant ects and the Spirit of Capitalism," "The Religious Rejectionsof theWorld and TheirDirections," nd "The Social Psychologyof theWorld Religions."5This article,therefore, oes not investigateWeber's distinctionbetween "rational"and "empathic"understandings it relatesto the process of interpretative nderstand-ing. For a discussion f this distinction, ee Weber 1968, pp. 5-14 [2-7]; Levine 1979,pp. 10-11; and Weiss 1975, pp. 48-50.6 Whereas"rationality" nd all "typesof rationality" lways refer, orWeber and inthis article, to a condition, rationalization" or "rationalization process" refers o adevelopment. he "types" (Arten,Formen; see, e.g., [1946] 1958f,p. 293 [266]; [1930]1958a, pp. 26 [12], 30 [15]) of rationalization re all based on the types of rationality.

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American ournal fSociologytwo general haracteristicsfthetypesof rationalitynd of rationaliza-tionprocesses: heir niversalitynd their sphere-of-life"pecificity.The TypesofSocialAction nd theTypesofRationalityWeber'sfourfoldypology f social action-affectual,raditional, alue-rational, nd means-endational ction-refers o universal apacitiesofHomo sapiens. nsteadof depending or their xistence n societal, ul-tural, r historical onstellations,hese ypesof social action stand "out-side of history" s anthropologicalraitsof man.

Against 9th-centuryrench nthropology, eber rgued hatman didnot acquirehis "rationality" ith he Enlightenmentnd that ndividualsin all previous pochswerenot incapableof rational ction. On the con-trary, ven everyday ctionsof "primitive"man could be subjectivelymeans-end ational, s, for example,when specific eligious itualswereperformed iththe aimof receiving avors rom god. In Weber'seyes,thispureexchange elationships it existedn sacrifice nd prayer 1968,p. 424 [258-59]; [1922] 1973, pp. 432-38) was identical n form o themodern usinessman's alculation f the most efficient eans to acquireprofit. ikewise, he factthat the values in premodernocieties ivergedwidely rommodern aluesdid not,forWeber, all intoquestion hebasiccapacityof man to orienthis actions rationally n thebasis of values.On the otherhand, traditional nd affectual ction werenot uprootedandswept wayto thedegree hatmodernization ovementsdvanced.However niversal he four ypesof social actionmay be,Webercon-fined heapplication fthis typology o specific nd delineated ctions.As a comparative-historicalociologist, owever, e wishedto examine"more" than imply ragmentedctionorientations; egularitiesnd pat-terns f actionwereof far greater nterest o him. Patterns ould occurat a plurality f levels of sociocultural rocesses, rom hosemanifestnthe dominant athsfollowed y entire ivilizations o others hat char-acterized ong-termistorical evelopmentsr short-termocietalmove-ments.Regularities f actionsurfaced s well withinnstitutions,rgani-zations, trata, lasses, and groups n all societies.The typology f thetypesof rationality, classificationhat must be siftedout ofWeber'swritings,s one of manyconceptual chemeshe utilizesto analyzesuchregularitiesnd patterns. Practical," theoretical,"formal," nd "sub-stantive"rationalityonstitute his typology. he consciousregularitiesof action that all ofthesetypesof rationalityntroduceerve to master(bekerrscken) ragmentednd disconnectedealities.Since these ypes frationalityre anchorednmeans-endational nd1148


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American ournal f Sociologyrationalizationrocesses ake shape, n greater r lesser egrees, niversal-ly. The "Author's ntroduction"tself rovides he mostunequivocal vi-dence of this universality.n referringhereto the particular ypesofrationalitynd rationalizationrocesses hatappeared n Western iviliza-tion,Weber mplies hat rationalization,lbeit often f a differentind,takesplace innon-Westernivilizationss well ([1930] 1958a,pp. 25-26[11], 30 [15] . He furtherrequentlyotes, or xample, he rationalism"ofancient udaism1968, pp. 610 [367], 618-19 [372]) andof Confucian-ism (1951, pp. 226-49 [512-36], 164 [452]; 1968,pp. 538-39 [326-27])and the rationalizationf mystical ontemplation[1930] 1958a, p. 26[11]).

In an analysis f religious ationalization,. H. Tenbruck 1975) hascome to the same conclusion.After xamining he original1905 editionofWeber'sThe Protestant thic and the Spiritof Capitalism PE) andhis later "Author's ntroduction,"The Social Psychologyf the WorldReligions," nd the "ReligiousRejections f the World," enbruck rguesthat hemost ignificanthematic evelopment ere nvolves broadeningof Weber's understandingf "rationality" nd rationalizationrocesses(1975, pp. 669, 677-79). In thefirst dition f thePE, Weber's nterest,nkeepingwith the prevalent ntellectual urrents f his time,focused x-clusively n rationalizationn the West. By the timehe wrote helateressays,however, e had enlarged is notion f rationalizationo universal-historicaldimensions hat included civilizationaldevelopmentsn theOrient s well (Nelson 1969, p. 6; 1974, p. 272; Parsons1937, pp. 567,752; 1963, pp. xxxii-iii;Bendix1965, pp. 11-12; Munch 1980; Levine1979,pp. 8-9).The Sphere-of-Lifepecificityf "Rationality" nd"Rationalization" rocessesWeberdoesnotemploy heconcepts f"rationality"nd "rationalization"in a global manner o refermerely o a general nfoldingf civilizations.Instead, qualitatively ifferentationalization rocesses hat potentiallyadvance t their wnindigenous atestakeplace at various ocioculturallevelsand in differentife-spheres,oth n thoserelating o the "externalorganizationftheworld," uchas the realms f law, politics, conomics,dominationHerrschaft), nd knowledge,nd in the "internal" pheresofreligionndethics.Rationalizationrocessesmaybe found lso in theaesthetic nd erotic renas.10Weber's onvictionhat rationalizationccurs n diverse pheres flife10"Arenas," "realms,"nd "spheres"re usedheresynonymouslyLebensbereiche,Lebenssphaere).pheresf ife,uch s thoseust noted,reoften eferredo bycon-temporaryociologistss "institutionalrders."1150


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Weber'sTypesofRationalityWeberdiscovered greatvariety f systematichinkers hopracticedthis type of rationality.n the earliest tages of history, orcerers nd

ritualistic riests ought bstractmeansof tamingnature nd the super-natural.With the appearance f ethical alvation eligions,thicalpriests,monks, nd theologians ationalized he values implicit n doctrines ntointernallyonsistentonstellationsf values,or worldviews Weltbilder),that offeredomprehensivexplanations orthe perpetuationf suffering.Philosophersf all shadeshave also pondered ature nd societynd haverepeatedly efined onceptual chemes hat "explained" theirworkings.Theoretical ationalization rocessesmay also be carriedout by judgeswhointerprethe ncipient orldview found npolitical onstitutionsrby the disciples f a revolutionaryheorist,uch as thosethat have con-tinually risen o refineMarxiandoctrine. ystematic hinkers ave oftenbeen scientists edicated o the theoretical ationalizationf the scientificworldview n the decades since Weber'sdeath thathave been devoidofeitherrevolutionaryopes or religious ervor. ince it alwaysseeks in-terrelationshipsnd theconstructionf comprehensiveholistic" xplana-tions, heoretical hought tands n a relationshipf antagonismo thefragmentedharacter f magic n particular.Unlike themeans-end ational ction hat provides hefoundation orpurely daptivepracticalrationality,heoretical ationalization rocessesareundergirdednd given heirmomentum, eberargues, y thenatural"metaphysical eed" and "irrepressibleuest" of thinkersnd systematiz-ers to transcend heergivenroutine nd to supplythe random ventsofeverydayifewith coherentmeaning" [1946] 1958f, p. 279-81 [251-54]; 1968, pp. 505-6 [307-8]). These personshave beenmotivated lti-matelyby their earch for an answer o the questionthat has stood atthebase ofall metaphysics:If theworld s a whole nd ife nparticularwere ohavea meaning, hatmightt be, and howwould the worldhaveto look n order o correspondo it?" (1968, p. 451 [275]). This conun-drum,whether ealt with n its religious r its philosophical orms, as,Weberbelieves, layedan immeasurablyignificantole n the effortsfintellectualso break through aily realities nd to understand he worldas a "meaningful"osmos. n the 20th-centuryheoretical ationalizationprocesses, his uestionhas been visible n only ts most onstrictedorms.Weber is convinced hat a theoretical onfrontation ith realitycanreactback on the thinker'sction nd introduce ew regularitiesf action,though his does not always occur. The modern cientist's lteration fa mathematicalquation, or xample, enerallyeaves scarcely n imprintonhisroutine ction.On the otherhand,the sorcerer's ational eduction,from ommon xperience,hat evil, metaphysical owers esidewithin rlurk behindtrees,rocks, nd othernaturalobjects requirednew modesofinteracting iththe transcendentealmforhimself nd-given a con-

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American ournal f Sociologyfigurationf purely ociological actors hat facilitated he dispersion fthe sorcerer's hought-for is entire ociety 1968, pp. 399-403 [245-48]). For example, fter the idea of the soul arose, burial proceduressought o provide hedead with menitiesn their raves 1968, pp. 404-5[248]).Whenmighty ods arose as functionallypecializedentities ble toprotectmen againstevils,yet failed to do so, logical thoughtwas againengaged o confronthis uandary: bstract hinkinged to the conclusionthatthesegods wereegoistic eings nd that their nger ould be calmedonly by entreaties nd supplications 1968, pp. 432 [264], 424 [258]).These purely rational" onclusions hemselvesnfluencedocial action na number f ways. Perhaps most mportant,he necessity f appeasingthegods provided he mpetus or he crystallizationf a new stratum freligious ractitionerso conductworship ervices: riests. riests, n turn,further heoreticallyationalized onceptions f the metaphysical ealm.In the process, he diversemethods f supplication nd entreaty ecameorderednto variety f regularworship orms,ncluding rayer, ributes,penance, nd abstinence. riests lso delineated good behavior" s con-duct agreeable o the gods, and worshipersearnedhow to attain favorby acting n accord with a divinity's xpectations. iven a constellationof facilitatingociologicalforces, hese modes of interacting ith theepiphenomenalpherebecame dominant hroughout society 1968, p.423 [258]).In a later stage of the religious ationalization rocess,world viewsarose as a resultofthe theoretical ationalizationf conceptionsf thesupernaturalealm.These comprehensiveiewsof the universe ndman'splace withint purported o offer xhaustive xplanations f man's plightand hisrepeated xperiencingf njustice.n further urely ognitivea-tionalizationrocesses, eligioushinkersontinuallyought oreorderndsystematizehereligious alues mplicitntheworldview nto ncreasinglyinternallyonsistent octrinesn the hope of deducing atterns f actionthatwould nsure state ofgraceforbelievers.Accordingo Weber,re-ligiousdoctrines hemselves-such s the ndian doctrine fKharma, heCalvinistbelief n predestination,nd theLutheranustificationhroughfaith-could,under ertain ircumstances,ignificantlynfluenceracticalwaysof life.This occurred imply ecauseof theplausibilityhesedoc-trines cquiredfrom heirconsistent xplanations or lasting suffering([1946] 1958f, . 286 [258-59]; [1946] 1958d,p. 324 [537]; 1968, p.424 [259]; Tenbruck 975,pp. 683-85).Thus, even though theoreticalrationalitymastersreality throughthought,t contains potential ndirectlyo introduce atterns f action.Indeed, Weberasserts hat the abstractrationalizationrocesses arriedout by systematichinkerslayeda decisiverole in the de-magification1154


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American ournal f Sociologytionprocesses. nstead, radicalperspectivismrevails n which he exis-tence of a rationalization rocessdependson an individual'smplied rstated,unconscious r conscious, reference or certainultimatevaluesand the systematizationfhis or her action to conformo thesevalues.These values acquire "rationality"merely rom heir tatusas consistentvalue postulates. imilarly,he "irrational" s not fixed nd intrinsically"irrational" ut results romhe ideal-typicalncompatibilityf one ulti-mateconstellationf valueswith nother:

Somethings notof itself irrational,"ut rather ecomes o when x-amined rom specificrational"tandpoint. veryreligiouserson s"irrational"or veryrreligiouserson,ndevery edonistikewiseiewsevery sceticwayof ife s "irrational,"ven f,measurednterms f tsultimatealues, "rationalization"as taken lace.This essay,f t canmake ny ontributiont all, aims o expose hemultifacetedature f aconcept-the rational"-thatnly ppears o be a simple ne. [(1930)1958a, . 53,n. 9 (35, n. 1); my ranslation,mphasisn original]12

Atleast one identifiableointof view rootedna value postulate xistsin every realm of life. The "rationality" nd potential rationalizationprocesseswithin given renarefer ack to thesevalue postulates. ife-spheres,n a sense,defend heir wn value postulates s "rational"andlabel those of other ife-spheresirrational." rom the pointof view ofefficiencynd productivityn the economic ealm, or xample, ll statusmonopolies,incethey estrictheexpansion f the freemarket, re "irra-tional," s is capitalism onsideredrom he perspective f the values offeudalism,n whichstatusmonopolieswere most pronounced [1946]1958f,p. 301 [275]). The calculation f the capitalist nd the powerinterests f the politician re likewise irrational" rom he standpointfall salvation eligionsf brotherhood,ndtheconverses also true [ 1946]1958d,pp. 348-49 [561-62], 331-40 [544-54]). Similarly,o themodernintellectual ho trusts nly cience nd empirical nowledge,hereligiousman's relianceon faithremainswithinthe realmof the "irrational"([1946] 1958d,p.353 [566]; [1946] 1958f, . 281 [253]).Substantivelyationalpointsof viewmay also differwithin singlesphere.Within herealm freligion,or xample, plenitude fultimatevalue-standpointsndworldviews onfrontneanother,achproclaimingits "rationality." he Hinduorganic ocial ethicsremainsncomprehensi-ble as a way of life to themysticBuddhistwhohas chosento pursueNirvanathrough life of contemplation,s does the ascetic'saction ntheworld [1946] 1958d,p. 338 [551-52]). To theascetic, n theotherhand,the paths to salvation n these Orientalreligions emainwhollysenseless [1946] 1958d,pp. 352-56 [565-70]), as does the Confucian12 This footnotewas added in Weber's 1920 rewriting f the PE.1156


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Weber'sTypesofRationalitygentleman's tudyof classical iterature 1951, pp. 226-49 [512-36]).Similarly, ithin he arena of ethics, heproponentf the ethic of con-viction Gesinnungsethik)lwaysclaims hatthe adherentf the ethic fresponsibilityltimatelydvocates n "irrational" osition. he advocateofuniversal alues makesthe sameclaim about the supporter f particu-laristic alues.The converse lso holds n each of these ases.Largely s a consequence f thesecondary iterature's eneral rienta-tion to the PE ratherthan to the later "Religious Rejectionsof theWorld,"whereWeber's radical value perspectivisms mostapparent,13interpretersf the typesof rationality ave nearly otallyneglected hissignificantspect. This neglecthas resulted lso, on the one hand, fromthe common endency o reduce hemultidimensionalityf rationalizationprocesses o a singledimensione.g.,bureaucratization)nd, on the otherhand,from he failure o distinguish,s Weberdoes, between research-er'spersonalvalues and his attempt o define cientificallyhehistoricalfoundations,ociological reconditions,nd significantonsequences f asocial phenomenon. or example,HerbertMarcuse (1972, pp. 133-51),in particular, rguesthatWeber dentifiedapitalism's ormal ationalitywithrationality s such and supported his economic ystemn his sci-entificwritingss one in conformityiththe absolute value of Reasonin the Hegelian sense. On the contrary,Weber's investigation f "ra-tionality" nd rationalizationrocesses mpliesnothing bout a desireonhispart to advocateeither heir xpansion r constriction.Weber'sradicalperspectivism,is notion f substantiveationality,ndhis verstehendeociology s a whole all pivot on the conviction hatvalues are notdemonstrabley the methods f science [1946] 1958e,pp.150-51 [607]; 1949, pp. 52-55 [149-52], 58 [154-55], 60 [157]) butremain n the contemporaryra theonlydomain n which he autonomousindividual onfrontsis "own demons."That even the mostprecise tech-nically orrect" ationalization ithin, orexample, he economic phere,cannotbe said to be legitimate nd "valid" as "progress" t the levelofvalues remains constant ssumption hroughoutWeber's sociologicalanalyses.Nor can science,on the otherhand, prove the values of theBuddhistmonkor those of the Sermon n the Mount to be "superior"toany other alue configuration1949,p. 38 [530]; [1946] 1958e,p. 148[604]).Formalrationalities ave stood n the mostdirect ntagonism o manysubstantiveationalities.he recurrentonflictf these ypes f rationalityhas played a particularly ateful ole in the unfolding f rationalizationprocessesn the West.13Thisessay onfrontshereaderwith n overwhelmingascade fexamplesnwhichWeber utshimselfnthepositionfan ideal-typicallyonstructedsubject" ndex-amines hecosmos rom heperspectivefthat ubject.

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American ournal fSociologyculation, he ubordinationfdiffuseealities o values, r abstract houghtprocesses;regardlesslso of whetherheytake place in referenceo in-terests, ormal ules nd laws, values,or purely heoreticalroblems-alloftheseprocessesystematicallyonfront,orWeber, ocialreality's nd-less stream f concrete ccurrences,nconnected vents, nd punctuatedhappenings. n mastering eality, heir common im is to banish par-ticularized erceptionsy orderinghem nto comprehensiblend "mean-ingful" egularities.16Mental processes re of interest o Weber primarilyn regardto theextent o which hey an be translatednto patterns f social action. nsome cases, suchas practicalrationality,egularitiesf action follow ocloselyon the calculation n relation o self-interestshat the mentalprocess tself s scarcely isible.Theoretical ationality,n the otherhand,illustrates he oppositeextreme:here cognitive rocessesoften do notintroduce atternsf action, houghheymaydo so indirectly.n general,a quitedirectinkage xists etweenhemental rocess nd action rientedto formalnd substantiveationalitiessee table 1).Constellationsfhistorical nd sociological actors etermine,orWe-ber,whether particularypeof rationalitynfactfound lear expressionas a mentalprocess lone or also as regularitiesf actionthat becameestablished s socioculturalrocesses,whethert the evel of groups, r-ganizations, ocieties, r civilizationss a whole.This common otentialofthe types frationalityomaster eality onsciouslyxists s a corner-stone n Weber's nalysisof theunfolding f diverserationalization ro-cesses n various ivilizations.The TypesofAction, heTypesofRationality,ndLegitimate rdersAs conscious egularitiesf actionthat aim to masterreality, racticaland formal ypes frationalityre based typically n man'scapacityformeans-end ational ction; substantive ationalityerives ypically romvalue-rationalction. Even though heoretical ationality,n the otherhand, s rooted n abstract ognitive rocessesnsteadof action,rationalaction-and evenpatterns f rational ction-may follow ndirectlyromtheoreticalational hinkingsee table 2).Substantive,ormal,nd theoreticalypes f rationalityo not, n We-ber'sscheme, emain imply morphousociocultural egularitiesf action.Instead,given onfigurationsffacilitatingociologicalnd historical ac-tors,theyare institutionalizeds normative egularitiesf actionwith-16Thougha conscious, ystematicmastery f reality s not, of course, the onlymeansby which, ccordingto Weber, regularities rise (see 1968, pp. 33-38 [17-20]).1160


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American ournal fSociologyClear"elective ffinities"Howe 1978) existbetween ertainegitimateorders nd particular ypesof action.Whensubstantive ationalitiesre

formed y prophets, riests, nd theologiansnto ethicalsalvationdoc-trines nd institutionalizedn an organization, hether church, ect,orhierocracy,he devouttypically eel obligatedto uphold this "ethicalsubstantiveationality"orvalue-rationaleasons.^However,hisneednotoccur. Many persons, or example, o not possess, ccording o Weber,the"religious ualifications"o pattern heir ctions onsistentlyn behalfof a valueconstellation.hus, theybelieve n thesevaluesnot as absoluteethicalprinciples ut as mere guidelines oraction thatcan be upheldor discarded ccording o momentaryemands. n this case, the ethicalsubstantive ationalitys oftenupheld simply n a means-end ationalmanner. therpersons-though hese re definitelyot representativefsect or churchmembers-may iew n institutionalizedthical ubstantiverationalityn terms f their wninterests nd nothingmore.This possi-bility s illustrated y the means-endationalmotives f thebusinessmenwho oinedCalvinist ects simplyn order o acquire reputationsor m-peccablehonesty nd thereby ecurethe tradeof sect and othercom-munitymembers[1946] 1958c,pp. 305-8 [210-13]). In thiscase, sub-stantive ationalpatterns f actionare notbelieved n value rationally.Insteadtheyexist as mere means-end ationalmeanstowardrunningsuccessful usiness 1968,pp. 26 [13], 85-86 [45]).In other ases, elective ffinitiesetween egitimaterders hat nstitu-tionalize typeof rationalitynd typesof social action clearlyexistonlywhentheseorders re examinedn referenceo an epoch's peculiarvalue constellation.he bureaucracys a legitimaterder haracterizedby formal bstract egulationsmay be maintained ora number f dif-ferent easons. russian ivilservants f the 19th entury erformedheirtasksefficientlynd begantheirworkdays unctuallyt eightbecauseoftheir eliefn a value constellation:ccordingo the "bureaucraticthic,"duty required ependability,recision,fficiency,unctuality,iscipline,stability,nd reliability.n thisextraordinaryase, an impersonal19ub-stantive ationalitytself ecame a meansappropriate or thefulfillmentof formal ational atternsfaction 1968, pp. 26 [13], 85-86 [45]). Inother ocieties nd other ras,the same systematicxecution f tasks nreferenceo universal ules akesplace becausethe officialimply dheresto custom traditional ction) or because he is aware thatfailure o do19Here amdistinguishingetweenpersonal"nd "impersonal"alues.Bothtypesmayoccur s constellations,husformingubstantiveationalities.his distinction,which,omyknowledge, eber ever xplicitlyiscusses,s one that have extractedfrom is oeuvre.mpersonalalues, uch s those pecifico the "bureaucraticthic,"fail o takepersonsnto ccount s do,e.g., hevaluesofcompassion,rotherlyove,orforgiveness.1162


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American ournal f Sociologyand, second, disjunction etween normativelyalid canon that claimsethical tatus and the empiricallyivenflow f fragmentedealities.Ac-cording o Weber, daily actioncan be decidedly nfluenced y ethicalrationalitiesven f "external" uarantees or hem re lacking nd even,at times,n spite of opposing ocial forces.When an ethical rationalitypenetrates racticalrational ction,Weber refers o the resulting ctionas "practical-ethical"1968, pp. 36 [19], 528 [321]; [1946] 1958f,pp.286 [258-59], 293-94 [266], 280 [252]; [1946] 1958d,p. 324 [537-38]).Of greatest ignificanceor all practical-ethicalegularitiesf action arethe values constitutinghe correspondingthical rationality. et thesevaluesvary not only n relation o content ut also in their omprehen-siveness nd degree f inner nity.Value rationalizationefers, orWeber, o the theoreticalationalizationof substantive ationalities, hetherthicalor not: their omprehensive-ness (the extent o which hey laimto order ll action) and their nnerunity re enhanced. nnerunity s rationalized ccording o the degree owhich he values within given ubstantiveationality, owever ompre-hensive r limited t maybe, areordered nd systematized. s rationaliza-tionproceeds, hesevalues come to stand n a relation f consistencyotonlyto one another ut also hierarchicallynder an ultimatevalue. Inthe religious phere, or xample, alue rationalizationmplies he break-ing down of the discrete aluesof isolated ritualpractices, nconnectedmagical eremonies,nd a pantheon f gods, ach of whichdemands acri-fices nd loyalty, nd the molding f these amorphous alues into in-creasinglyomprehensivend unified orld iews.24Whenever hey ppearas substantivelyational eligious octrines, ully nified orldviewsoffercoherentxplanations f all injustice nd sufferingn terms fprinciplesofright ndwrong hat re accepted n faith s "truth."To theextent hatvalue-rationalizationrocesses xpanda substantiverationality's omprehensivenessnd innerconsistencynto a secularorreligiousworldview that exists s an ethical tandard, nd to the degreethatsocial action s value rationally riented oward hisvalue constella-tion, hedispersed appeningsfdaily ife, hepracticalrationalway oflifeoriented o interests,nd formal ationalpatterns f actionare allreplacedby ethicalclaims.Thus, forWeber, he chance thataction willbecome ubstantivelyationalized o conform o a givensalvation thicor other thical ubstantive ationality ependsnotonlyon the strengthof antagonisticnterests ut also on themotivationsfbelievers nd the24 This is only one axis of the extremely ntriguing ourse of religiousrationalization(see, e.g., 1951, p. 226 [512]; 1952, pp. 425-26, n. 1 [1-2]). This rationalization rocess,which has been only partly dealt with by Schluchter Roth and Schluchter1979, pp.11-64) and Tenbruck (1975), cannot be discussed here. I have recently ommentedextensively n these articles n a review essay (1979).1166


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Weber'sTypesofRationalityrelative alue rationalizationf the ethic: the more n ethicapproachesthe point of absolute comprehensivenessnd innerunityand the morevalue-rationalctionprevails, he morepowerfulecome hepsychologicalpremiums laced on actionsystematicallyirected oward thicalgoals.To Weber, the individualwho value rationally rientshis action to aninternally nified nd comprehensivethical substantive ationalityctsmethodicallynreferenceo an ethicof convictionGesinnungsethik)ndrationalizes ction "fromwithin" n all spheres f life to conformo itsinternally indingvalues (1968, pp. 424 [259], 450-51 [275], 578-79[349-50]; 1951, p. 244 [530]; [1946] 1958b,pp. 120-27 [551-59]).As the determinantfthe direction or potential alue-rationalizationprocess, he content f thesubstantive ationality's alueshas, accordingtoWeber, he effectfguiding ction nto specific hannels nd directingit away from thers.This occurswhen the value-rationalizationrocessfailsto reach ts end pointof development,hough lso whenan ethicofconvictionrises [1946] 1958f, . 287 [259]).In the religious rena, forexample, his contentwas particularlym-portant n regardto the potential nfluence f a beliefsystem n thepragmatic ctionof its followers[1946] 1958f,p. 289 [261]). Whenbelievers riented heir eligiousction to a worldview, uchas that m-plied by theclassicalBuddhist octrine f the eightfold athto salvation,practicalrational s well as all other ction orientationsin the world"wereradically enigrateds "senseless" nd generally uppressed.Manytypesof "practical thics" ([1946], 1958f,p. 294 [266]), on the otherhand, uch as Catholicism'say ethic, ncientJudaism, utheranism,ndHinduism, laced ethicalpremiums n practicalrationalregularities faction,though hey failedto do so in a consistent nd comprehensivemanner. racticalrational ction patternswere consistently,nd forallbelievers,warded sychologicalremiums y Calvinism nd Catholicism'svirtuoso ogma formonks.n placingenormous remiumsn disciplinedworkand methodicalwaysof life, these doctrines omprehensivelyub-limatedpracticalrational ction,whether n the monasteryr "in theworld,"ntopractical-ethicalction. nstead of being uppressed,racticalrationality ow became consistentlyenetrated y an ethicaldimension,acquiringntheprocess heightenedntensity1968, p. 551 [334]; 1951,p. 247 [553-54]). These typesof practicalrationalways of life,whichWeber mphasizeds containinghe mostfateful onsequencesormodernman (1930, p. 26 [11-12]), were not to be rediscoveredn the valuecontent f any otherethicalsalvation religion f historical ignificance(1968,p. 556 [337]; [1946] 1958f,p.290 [263]).Substantive ationalitiesnthe ecular rena also vary nfinitelyn valuecontent, egree of comprehensiveness,nd internalunity.For Weber,fragmentedccurrences re theoretically ationalized o conform o a

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American ournal f Sociologysecular value postulatewhen,for example,personselevate an ideal offriendshipo the level of an ethical standard nd consider hemselvesinternally oundto uphold ll the standards f brotherhood. hen theyare value-rationalized,ecular ethical rationalitiesmay exhibita moregeneral pplicability hat influencesocial action more comprehensively.The Renaissance ejection f traditional onds and its faith n the powerof the naturalis atio ([1946] 1958f,p. 293 [266]) permeated iversespheres f life, s did the Enlightenment'saith n Reason and classicalliberalism'sredoof the Rights f Man and freedom f conscience 1968,p. 1209 [725-26]). Similarly, he upholding f egalitarianism ay affectnot only ts adherents' urely olitical nd legal activities ut also theirsocialand eventheir conomic ndeavors.25Such ethical ationalities, heneverheir alues are furtherheoreticallyrationalized,ecome omponents ithinmore omprehensivend internallyunified thicalrationalities. his occurs f, for example, he orientationof action toward ocial ustice as an ethical deal is value-rationalizedosuchan extent hata closed worldviewimplyingn explanation f allpast, present, nd futurehumanmisery rises.Secular political, ocial,and philosophicalmovementsf this total degreeof comprehensivenessand inner onsistency rototypicallylossomedn 19th-centuryurope.In Marxian ocialism, or xample, he deals of brotherhood,galitarian-ism, and social justice no longerremained solated ethical principles rvague hopesbut fused ntoa systematicallynifiedworldview thatex-plainedman's past and present light. t also promised,fthe tenets aiddownwere orrectlymplemented,hefuture bolition fall earthly ard-ship.As a unified eliefsystem hat claimedabsolutetruth,Marxism,whenbelieved n value-rationally,thically rdered ll spheresof life"fromwithin." orWeber, hepower f sucha secular thic f convictionto centrally ationalize ll social action n behalfof its values is no lessstrong hanthatof a religiousthicof conviction. f criticalmportancein both cases is an acceptance f the ethicon faith nd a belief n it asan absolute eyond ll compromise.2625 In certainperiodsand in certaincultures, s a resultmainlyof economicand po-litical factors,the beliefin egalitarianismmay extend into spheresof social actionfromwhich t has been traditionally arred, uch as minority ights nd sexual prefer-ences. That the claims for equality of nearlyall minoritymovements n the UnitedStates,from bolitionism o the civil rights,women's, nd gay movementsn the 1960sand 1970s,have been rooted n ethicalrationalities rom heEnlightenmentnd classicalliberalism,uchas the "naturalrights fman" and "equalityof all" as embodied n theU.S. Constitutionnd Bill of Rights,constitutesupportforWeber'semphasison thepotential nfluence f ethicalrationalities.26 That WeberconsideredMarxisma belief ystembased on faithrather han a scienceis clear (1968, pp. 515-16 [313-14].). He is, however,reluctant o refer o Marxismdirectly s a religion.He prefers o stress hat thisclosed worldview exhibits numberof characteristicsenerally ssociatedwithreligions,uchas its natureas an "economi-1168


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American ournal f SociologyRationalizationrocesses: nterestsnd ValuesSubstantive ationalitys most responsible or boththe diffusenessndthe perspectival ature of Weber'srationalization heme.This type ofrationalityombineswiththe notion f ethical ubstantive ationality oconstitute he pivotal concepts n his analysis.Onlyethical rationalitiesare capable of permanentlyuppressingracticalrationalregularitiesfaction or, just as important,ntensifyinghem by transformingheminto practicalethical action. n addition, nly ethicalrationalities os-sess the analytical igor o subdueformal ationalizationrocesses ully.Finally, onlyethical rationalities rovide a value contentfor theoreti-cal rationalizationrocesses, et them n motion n specificdirectionsas value-rationalizationrocesses, nd give rise to comprehensive,n-ternallyunifiedvalue configurations.hese value constellations, venthoughforWeberthey are themselvesargelymanifestationsf "irra-tional" historical,conomic, olitical,domination,nd even geographicalforces[19461 1958f, . 281 [253]), constituteationallyonsistent orldviewsto which ndividualsmay orient heir ction n all spheres f life.Whenever heseworldviewsacquire the social and economic nchoragenecessary ortheirdiffusionhroughout civilization,hey ay down the"tracks" Gleise)-or boundaries-within hich heeverydayltercationsamong conomic,olitical, nd othernterestsakeplace.27All of theseachievementsf ethicalrationality erivefrom singlepostulate hatunderliesWeber'shistorical ociology nd methodologicalwritingso lessthanhis fundamentalnthropologicaliewofman: actioncannot e understoods simply n adjustmento "given"realities, hetherdaily routiner bureaucratictatutes,s manifestnpractical, heoretical,and formal ationalities. or can a residual statusbe assignedto thecomponent f humanactionthatfalls outsideroutine nd adaptivebe-havior. nstead, ccording o Weber, ction motivated y values and re-sistant o and counterpoisedgainstenvironmental olding y interestshas beenof the greatest istoricalonsequence.28For Weber,theworldlywisdom nd utilitarian ommon ense of anAlberti ouldnot have givenbirthto modern apitalism, or could theinitial mpulse or ocial, philosophical,r religiousmovementshatpro-fessed o altergivenrealities rystallizerom ractical ationality[1930]1958a,pp. 76-78 [61-62]; 56,n. 12 [38, n. 1]; 158,n. 16 [168, n. 3]).Even less could formal ationality ave plantedthe seeds for its owngermination.orhavetheseregularitiesf rational ction lone everbeen27 Weber'smemorable tatement n the relationof ideas and interestsmust be under-stood in thiscontext see [1946] 1958f,p. 280 [252]).28 As well as of pivotal interest to a verstehende ociology.An overriding im ofWeber'ssociology s to make individuals ensitive o values.1170


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Weber'sTypesofRationalitycapable,Weber sserts, fgiving irth o ethical ubstantiveationalities,value-rationalizationrocesses,worldviews, r a unifiedway of life: noethical ctionmonitoredy an internalizedtandard, egardlessfwhetherit involves circumscribedthicalrationality uch as friendship r anethic f conviction,an result olelyfrommeans-endational ction.Neither he means-end ational ctionthatprovided hefoundationorpractical nd formal ationality orvalue postulates evoidof an ethicalaspect could transcend nd orderdaily routine o a degree ufficientoset a comprehensivend continuous ationalizationfgivenrealitiesntomotion. uch a developmentouldemerge nly after alue-rationalizationprocesses ooted n an ethicalrationality ad led to the formationf atleast an incipientworld view in reference o which, rrespective f itsparticular alue content, veryday outines ouldbe qualitativelyssessed,foundwanting, nd rejected.Weber's notionof ethicalsubstantive a-tionality nd his emphasis n thedivergent irections ollowed y ratio-nalization rocesses ooted n valuesaccountsforhis opposition o all ex-planations f the advance of rationalizations a manifestationf eitheradaptation ogivenrealities r theconflict f sheer nterests.29Precisely hisWeberian ssertionxplainshis unwillingnesso sidewithMarx n endowing conomic nterests ith generalized ignificance,venthoughhe refused o underestimateheir trength. nly ethicalrationalaction,notsimply he thrust f interests,ossessed, orexample, he po-tential ffectivelyo rupture raditional ays of life and attitudes. orWeber, pecific ypesofwaysof life have oftendemonstrated greateraffinityithcertain ypesof economic ction because of ethicalrationalinfluences ather han because of intensive conomicpressures [1930]1958a,pp. 26-27 [12]), inspite f thefact hatthevery rigins f ethicalrationalitieshemselvesmustbe in turnunderstood s largely he resultof economicfactors. uch distinctionst the levels of "meaning"andmotivationoraction have been of enormous ignificanceor an under-standing f the meandering outesrationalization ollowed n differentcivilizations.Interests s the Basis forRationalization rocesses:Affinities,Antagonisms,nd SociologicalAnchoringsThe centrality f ethical ubstantive ationality nd rationalization ro-cessesbasedon this ypeof rationalitynWeber's chememustbe viewedas an analytical entrality.ts conceptual ignificance,hichderives rom29 This interpretationf Weber's fundamental iew of history nd social change s fullysupportedby Tenbruck: "His entireoeuvre testifies o his convictionthat a compre-hensive and continuousrationalization f realitycannot arise out of interests" 1975,p. 689).

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Weber'sTypesofRationalitytapestry f shifting alances and kaleidoscopic nterweavings.aradoxand irony bound n Weber's harting f thispolychromaticet.The best-known nstance ccurredwhen the "irrationality"-when iewed frompurely udaemonisticerspective[1930] 1958a,pp. 78 [62], 70 [54])of the Calvinistworkethic contributedo patterns f actionand entireways of life thought o exemplify he highest eaks of civilization, etones that came to enslave individuals n the 20th centurywithin animpersonal iron cage" saturatedby formal, heoretical, nd practicalrationalizationrocesses [1946] 1958f, . 281 [253]; [1930] 1958a, pp.181-82 [203-4]; Loewith 1970, pp. 114-15). Time and again,Webernotes he manner n whichgroups f individuals reaterealms ffreedomby responding, hrough ational regularities f action, to fragmentedrealities. n carrying hese regularities o extremes, owever, he samegroupsmay construct eritable etworks f bondage.Nearly all rationalizationrocesses re of shortduration orWeberasa historical ociologist astinghis glance down through he ages. Onlyavery few-those based on the ethical ubstantive ationalitieshat formthe tracks or he unfoldingf civilizations-reach crossmillennia. venthough, nce entrencheds accepted world views,these substantive a-tionalities nd the "ideas" that egitimate hem cquire an autonomous(eigengesetzliche)30owerto focusthe belief nd action orientations fentirepopulations Tenbruck 1975), their perpetuations guaranteed,according o Weber, only when they become institutionalized ithinlegitimate rders nd carriedby established ocial strata. The vast ma-jorityof rationalization rocesses are rooted in interests nd fail tolegitimate hemselves dequately t the level of values. Thus, they aresuppressedwhenever more powerful onstellation f antagonisticn-terestsppearson thehorizon.ModernRationalizationrocessesn theWest: The "Type of Person"Practical, heoretical,nd formal ationalizationrocesses trongly omi-nate substantive ationalization rocesses n modernWestern ocieties.The Judeo-Christian orldview, whichprovided he point of referenceformajorgroupings f substantive nd ethicalrationalitiess well as forthe theoretical ationalizationf theirvalues, has been largelyreplacedby the scientific orldview.With thisaxial shift nd with the definitionofscience-mainly y Weberhimself-as a modeof knowledgenalytical-ly distinct rom alues,values could be no longer efined s the egitimatesubjectmatter fthe 20thcentury'smajor theoretical ationalizationro-30 Unfortunately, eber'snotion of Eigengesetzlichkeit,hich has been dealt withbyTenbruck (1975) in only one of its multiple ncarnations, annot be exploredhere.

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Weber'sTypesofRationalitypetuation f this-worldlyufferingow becameemancipated rom heirsubjugation o values.Once clearlyfocusedwithin hedomainof sciencein the 20thcentury, hese processes ame to exist as "empty" abstractthought rocesses hat labeled religion s a realm characterized y a"sacrifice fthe ntellect" nd the"irrational"[1946] 1958d,pp. 351-52[564-66]; [1946] 1958f, . 281 [253]) (see fig.1).When it combinedwith formal, ractical, nd other theoretical a-tionalization rocessesunbridled y values, thisshiftof theoretical a-tionalization rom eligion o science became of paramount ignificancefor he destiny fmethodical ationalways of life. n thepast,boththedirection f suchways of life and theirmethodical spect had originatedfrom rationalizationn referenceo values.Wherever thicalrationaliza-tionprocesseshad been set in motion, heirvalueswere-as a ruleandoftendecisively-religious alues ([1946] 1958f, p. 287 [259]). Thebanishmentf thesevalues ed Weber to ask a specific uestion: "Whattype of person [Menschentyp]will-or could-survive in the moderncosmos?" 1949, p. 27 [517]; [1930] 1958a, pp. 180-82 [203-5]).He wanted oknow, bove all, whattypeofpersonwouldbe the carrierofWestern ivilizationn an age when he ife-spherehathad previouslyunitedthepersonalitynto a force apable of standingn opposition othe "stream fmaterial onstellations" ad lost ts sociological nchorage.Wouldthis ype fperson e littlemore han pale reflectionf theformalrationalityharacterizingis merely daptive ction n the egal, conomic,andscientificpheres s well as the bureaucraticorm f domination,ndof thepracticalrational rientationsequired o handle ife's daily tasksanddifficulties?he type f person apable ofsystematicallyationalizingaction fromwithin"-in relation o a unified alue constellation-and fthereby endinghis or her entire xistence n unambiguous direction"and "meaning"was viewed by Weber as a historical ubject bound tohistoricallyndsociologicallyniquetraditions,ultural alues, nd social-"Primitive" World View --"Primitive" Religions:Societies Lacking (Belief) Values fragmented

Theoretical Ethical Salvation Religions:Rational- (eifization (Belief) Ethical values arrangedProcesses into a unified constellationWorldiew r.that comprehensively explainsPresent suffering and the "meaning"

(Substantive of existenceRationality)Modern Science:Societies (Calculation) Values excluded in principlefrom theoreticalrationalization processes

FIG. 11175


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American ournal f Sociologyeconomic tructures. astinghis glance down throughhe ages from heperspective f the dawning f the 20th century, e saw the fading wayof thedistinct onfigurationf sociological actors hatcarried he histori-cal subjectwhich, o him, mbodiedWestern ivilization's ighest deals:theautonomous nd free ndividualwhose actionswere given continuityby their eferenceo ultimate alues.Webersaw no social stratum irmlynchored n Western ndustrialsocieties apable of replacing thical alvation eligionss an institutional-ized carrier f ethicalrationalitynd value-rationalizationrocesses. hecrystallizationf such a stratumwas rendered ll the more unlikely ythe unfolding f the major life-sphereslong theirparticular nd "au-tonomous" outesof rationalization: evoid of the personaldimension,therealms f theeconomy,aw, and knowledge,s well as all bureaucraticstructures f domination, ow developed olelyin relation o abstractrules, aws, regulations,nd externalnecessities. hese arenas thus re-mainedoutsideof and unrestrainedy all ethicalclaims (1968, p. 585[353]; [1946] 1958d,p. 331 [544]; 1927, pp. 357-58 [305]). Withoutthe cultivation f a consciencen the normal ocialization f children,llethicaldemands f them s adultsweredestined o fallon deaf ears.Thetypeofperson o whom thical laims re alien couldscarcelymasterhisreality onsciously nd direct ction consistently.nstead, such personsremained ubjectto the random-or, n Weber's erms,irrational"-flowof interestsn their nviroment.he overwhelmingtrength f sociologi-callyentrenchedpheres nable n principleo generate alue-rationaliza-tionprocesses ondemned he unified ersonality o exist "at the edges"ofmodernocietyn smalland intimate roupings[1946] 1958e,p. 155[612]). Moreover, o the extent hat the values of thepolitical phere-suchas those ncorporatedn theBill ofRights-are swept way by theonslaught f formal, ractical, nd theoretical ationalizationrocesses,politically riented ction will becomeincreasinglyharacterized y ameremeans-end ational alculation f self-interests.f this trend s notreversed, he rule of authoritarian orcewill, according o Weber, n-evitably pread nd suppress ll political reedoms.

Far fromtreatingWeber's overallview of historical ationalizationprocessesn any comprehensive anner,his rticlehas onlytaken firststep towarddoingso by discussing he typesof rationalitys conceptsand theirmanifestationn rationalizationrocesses. he comparative-his-torical ociology hat s laid out in E&S-so oftenbetween he lines-and "applied" n theseparate tudies n thereligionsfChina, ndia,andtheancientNearEast tookWeberfarbeyond he evelofanalysis imitedto analytic onceptsnto realmvastlymore ongenial ohimpersonally.In his comparative-historicalociology, e searchedfortypicalpatterns1176


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Weber'sTypesofRationalitythatmight rovide lues to the general ircumstancesnderwhich tratathatcarried pecific ationalization rocesseswereconstrictedr allowedtospread nd establish urable raditions.uchinvestigationstilized heconceptual evel simply s a means of orientation o locate significanthistoricalunctures.Instead of being an end in itself, s manycommentatorsn Weber'smethodological ritings eemto believe, heformationf clear conceptswas simply heunavoidable irst tep n undertaking sociological naly-sis. For Weber, t was not theconcept, owever learly nd even aestheti-cally shaped,that was ofprimary nterest ut, rather, hequestionhowhistorical rocesses dvancedsociologically ithingivencivilizations. fone wishes o followWeber'smethodologicalrocedures,he purely on-ceptual nventoryfthemultipleWeberian ypesof rationalitynd theirmanifestationna multiplicityfrationalizationrocesses ndertaken erecan serve s the ogicalprerequisiteoran explorationf the vicissitudesofrationalizationrocessesnhistory t all levelsofsocioculturalrocess.REFERENCESBendix, Reinhard.1965. "Max Weber's SociologyToday." International ocial Science

Journal17 (January): 9-22.Howe, RichardHerbert.1978. "Max Weber's Elective Affinities:ociologywithintheBounds of Pure Reason." AmericanJournalof Sociology 84 (September): 366-85.Kalberg, Stephen. 1979. "The Search for Thematic Orientations n a FragmentedOeuvre: The Discussion of Max Weber in Recent GermanSociological Literature."Sociology 13 (January): 127-39.Levine, Donald. 1979. "Rationalityand Freedom: Weber and Beyond." Revised ver-sion of paper presented t the Max Weber Symposium,University f Wisconsin-Milwaukee,May 5, 1977.Loewith, Karl. 1970. "Weber's Interpretations f the Bourgeois-CapitalisticWorld inTerms of the GuidingPrincipleof 'Rationalization.'" Pp. 101-22 in Max Weber,editedby Dennis Wrong.Englewood Cliffs,N.J.: Prentice-Hall.Marcuse,Herbert.1972. "Industrialization nd Capitalism."Pp. 133-51 in Max Weberand SociologyToday, editedby Otto Stammer.New York: Harper& Row.Munch, Richard. 1980. "Zur Anatomiedes okzidentalenRationalismus."Forthcomingin Seyfarth nd Sprondel.Stuttgart:Enke.Nelson,Benjamin.1969. "Conscienceand theMaking of Early Modern Cultures: TheProtestantEthic beyondMax Weber." Social Research 36 (Spring): 4-21.. 1973. "CivilizationalComplexesand Intercivilizational ncounters."Sociologi-cal Analysis34 (Winter): 79-105.. 1974. "Max Weber's 'Author's Introduction' 1920): A Master Clue to HisMain Aims." Sociological Inquiry44 (December): 270-77.Parsons,Talcott. 1937. The Structure f Social Action I. New York: Free Press.. 1963. "Introduction."Pp. xix-lxvii n Max Weber,The Sociology of Religion,translatedby EphraimFischoff.New York: Free Press.Roth, Guenther, nd WolfgangSchluchter.1979. Max Weber's Vision of History:Ethics and Method. Berkeley:University f CaliforniaPress.Seyfarth, onstans, nd WalterM. Sprondel, ds. 1980.Max Weberund die Dynamikder gesellschaftlichenationalisierung. tuttgart:Enke.Swidler,Ann. 1973. "The Concept of Rationality n theWork of Max Weber." Socio-logical Inquiry43 (January): 35-42.

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Americanournalf SociologyTenbruck,F. H. 1975. "Das WerkMax Webers." KdlnerZeitschrift ur Soziologie undSozialpsychologie 7 (December): 663-702. (Forthcoming n English translation nBritishJournal of Sociology.)Vogel, Ulrike. 1973. "Einige Ueberlegungen um Begriff er Rationalitaet bei MaxWeber." Kolner Zeitschrift ur Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie25 (September):532-50.Weber,Max. (1922) 1973. "Ueber einige Kategoriender verstehendenoziologie." Pp.427-74 in GesammelteAufsaetze zur WissenschaftslehrehereafterWL), edited byJohannesWinckelmann. ubingen:Mohr.. 1927. GeneralEconomic History.Translated by Frank H. Knight.Glencoe, ll.:Free Press. Originally: 1923. Wirtschaftsgeschichte.dited by S. Hellman and M.Palyi. Munich: Duncker & Humblot.. (1930) 1958a. The Protestant thic and theSpirit of Capitalism.TranslatedbyTalcott Parsons. New York: Scribner's.Originally: 1920) 1972. Pp. 1-206 in Gesam-melte Aufsaetze ur Religionssoziologie hereafterGARS). Vol. 1. Tubingen: Mohr.. (1946) 1958b. "Politics as a Vocation." Pp. 77-128 in FromMax Weber: Essaysin Sociology (hereafter ssays), edited and translatedby Hans H. Gerth and C.WrightMills. New York: OxfordUniversity ress. Originally: 1958) 1971. Pp. 505-60 in GesammeltePolitische Schrif en. Tiibingen: Mohr.. (1946) 1958c. "The Protestant ects and the Spirit of Capitalism."Pp. 302-22in Essays. Originally: 1920) 1972. Pp. 207-36 in GARS, vol. 1.. (1946) 1958d. "Religious Rejections of the World and Their Directions."Pp.323-58 in Essays. Originally: (1920) 1972. "Zwischenbetrachtung."p. 537-73 inGARS, vol. 1.. (1946) 1958e."Science as a Vocation." Pp. 129-56in Essays. Originally: 1922)1973. "Wissenschaft ls Beruf." Pp. 582-613 in WL.

. (1946) 1958f. The Social Psychology f the World Religions."Pp. 267-301 inEssays. Originally: 1920) 1972. "Einleitung."Pp. 237-68 in GARS, vol. 1.. 1949. The Methodology of the Social Sciences. Translated and edited by Ed-ward A. Shils and Henry A. Finch. New York: Free Press. Originally: 1922) 1973.Pp. 146-214, 215-90, 489-540 in WL.. . 1951. The Religion of China. Translated and edited by Hans H. Gerth. NewYork: Free Press. Originally: (1920) 1972. "Konfuzianismusund Taoismus." Pp.276-536 nGARS, vol. 1.. 1952. AncientJudaism.Translated nd edited by Hans H. Gerth nd Don Mar-tindale.New York: Free Press. Originally: 1920) 1971. Das antikeJudentum.GARS,vol. 3.. 1968.Economyand Society. Edited by GuentherRoth and Claus Wittich.NewYork: Bedminister. riginally: 1921) 1976. Wirtschaft nd Gesellschaft. dited byJohannesWinckelmann. ubingen: Mohr.. 1975. Roscher and Knies: The Logical Problems of Historical Economics.Translatedwithan introduction y Guy Oakes. New York: Free Press. Originally:(1922) 1973. Pp. 1-145 in WL.Weiss, Johannes.1975.Max Webers Grundlegung erSoziologie.Frankfurt:UTB.SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF RECENT LITERATURE ONMAX WEBER PUBLISHED IN WEST GERMANYBreuer, tefan.1978. "Die EvolutionderDisziplin: Zum Verhaeltnis on Rationalitaetund Herrschaft n Max WebersTheorie der VorrationalenWelt." Kolner ZeitschriftfurSoziologieund Sozialpsychologie 0 (September): 409-37.Brugger,Winfried. 979. Sozialwissenschaft nd Menschenrechtem Anschluss n MaxWebersWerk. Doctoral dissertation, berhard-Karls-Universitatubingen.Kaesler, Dirk. 1975. "Max-Weber-Bibliographie." olnerZeitschrift urSoziologie undSozialpsychologie 7 (December): 703-30.

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