Max Weber Sociology

It has often been stated that sociology emerged as an attempt to understand modern society, and while the initial purpose of sociology may have been for this reason alone, sociology has since evolved to be a more encompassing field of study. Rather than focusing solely on the ways of modern society, sociology has a purpose of analyzing the past in order to illuminate patterns that have existed in societies since the beginning of time, as well as theorizing about the future and the possible destiny of human societies. Sociologists use all of these observations together, in order to create a well-rounded view of society that surpasses merely the scope of modern life.

Even in sociology’s earliest days, sociologists were always concerned with regarding

The teachings of sociologists like Karl Marx and Max Weber are more often regarded as key influences over the discourse of modern sociology. Marx and Weber largely disagreed on the specifics of the impact of history on modern society, but both avidly sought to pinpoint this impact, especially in relation to the subject that most of their theories were on—capitalism. Marx firmly believed that history is simply “the process by which productive forces develop,” arguing that all of history is ruled by economic development (Hughes et al., 1995). He claimed that the strengthening forms of communication worldwide and the access to a wider range of material overseas created the growth of free markets, which were the basis of modern capitalism (Hughes et al., 1995). In stark contrast, Weber believed that history was an expression of the changing beliefs and ideals of man (Hughes et al., 1995). Although he conceded that these interests could be economic as Marx proposed, Weber took his argument a step further by claiming that there is a range of interests held by human beings which could change the course of society, such as religion or tradition (Hughes et al., 1995). When writing on the development of capitalism, Weber emphasized that it was established due to a multitude of beliefs that convinced people to move

Anthony Giddens, for example, is a renowned sociologist of today who is very critical of Marx’s theory of historical materialism. Giddens claims that there is no “overall mechanism of social change . . . such as class conflict,” using Marx’s argument on the sole power of the economy and rendering it unfounded (Giddens, 1981). He also denies the existence of “universal stages” that are inevitable within the course of social change, instead seeing history as more complex and less patterned than other sociologists (Giddens, 1981). In this theory, although Giddens refutes the work of other sociologists, he emphasizes the importance of history in relation to his own findings, exhibiting that sociology can entertain many different opinions while universally acknowledging the value of timelessness when studying society. His findings will also inevitably impact the future of sociology, as he and other modern sociologists move past popular Marxist theories and instead embark on introducing an era of new sociological thought. Another critical thinker among sociologists today is W.G. Runciman, who is a self-described historical sociologist. Runciman’s theories are all heavily influenced by historical research, and one of his