Short Biography of Max Weber – Max Weber [1864-1920] is a memorable thinker in sociology for he has left a deep imprint upon sociology. He was a profound scholar, a voracious reader and a prolific writer. He entered the field of sociology through law and remained as one among the great sociologists of the 20th century.
Max Weber was born in a comparatively rich Protestant family on 21st April 1864 in Erfurt in Germany. He lived most of his early life in Berlin. Weber’s father was a bureaucrat who rose to a very high political position. He was a part of the political establishment and was more a hedonist than a Protestant.
In sharp contrast to him, Weber’s mother was a devout Calvinist, a woman who sought to lead an ascetic life. These sharp differences between the parents led to marital tensions. Growing conflicts and increasing tensions between the parents affected Weber’s feelings and sentiments deeply.
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Weber after completing his basic education joined the University of Heidelberg at the age of 18 to study law. Here he gravitated towards his father’s way of life of enjoyment.
He became addicted to beer. Though he was basically a student of law, he studied Roman institutions, theology, attended lectures in economics, showed interest in medieval history and philosophy.
Weber in his life earned varied experiences as a soldier, a professor, a politician, a legal expert and also as a sociologist. When his military service was over in 1884, he joined the University of Berlin for studies. For 8 years he stayed along with his parents and was financially dependent on his father. He disliked his father’s bullying behaviour towards his mother.
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At one stage [in 1900] he clashed violently with his father and asked him to quit the house. The father upon quitting the house died within a month and due to this Weber suffered a complete mental breakdown. He could not recover from that shock for about five years.
After recovering from his mental breakdown Weber travelled extensively. He even visited America. Between 1900 – 1918, he was almost out of teaching work. He lectured in the last three years of his life – 1918 – 1920 in the universities of Vienna and Munich.
Two of his lectures: “Science as a Vocation” and “Politics as a Vocation ” – were very famous. During the last three years of his life he was actively engaged in political activity. He died at a time [14th June 1920] when his talent had reached full maturity.
Sociology remains ever grateful to Weber for his memorable contributions such as – “Economy and Society”, “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”, “The City”, “Bureaucracy”, “The Organisation”, “The Theory of Social and Economic Organisation”, etc. He laid the foundations of German Sociological Society in 1910. He published a number of study reports, essays and articles in the leading social science journal “Archiv fuer Sozial wissenschaft”.
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Although Weber repeatedly entered the political field, he was not just a politician, he remained a great intellectual. His home became a centre for a wide range of intellectuals, including sociologists such as George Simmel, Robert Michaels, and George Lukas. With all this, “he was first and foremost his own man “.
“There was a tension in Weber’s life, and more important, in his work, between the bureaucratic mind as represented by his father, and his mother’s religiosity. This unresolved tension permeates Weber’s work as it permeated his personal life.
Main Works of Max Weber:
1. “General Economic History” – London: Allen and Unwin -1927.
2. “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” – New York (NY) Scribner -1930.
3. “Max Weber on Law in Economy and Society” – Cambridge MA: Harward University Press – 1945.
4. “From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology” – NY Oxford University Press -1946.
5. “The Theory of Social and Economic Organisations” -NY Oxford University Press – 1947.
6. “The Methodology of Social Sciences” – NY: Free Press – 1949.
7. “The City”-NY: Free Press – 1958.
8. “The Sociology of Religion” – Boston – Beacon Press – 1963.
9. “On Charisma and Institution Building” – Chicago: The University Press – 1968.
10. “Economy and Society” – in Three Volumes – Totwa, M.J. Bedminister – 1968.
Other Main Works:
1. The Religion of China – The Religion of India – Ancient Judaism.
2. Science as a Vocation and Politics as a Vocation [Two Lectures].
3. Bureaucracy.