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Max Weber, The Study Of Human Society

Decent Essays

One of the world’s most difficult, but also most important, endeavors is to analyze and interpret humans and their behaviors. How can we understand the complexities of humanity when there are infinite factors involved in the mind of each person? Sociology, the study of human society, aims to accomplish this task. Many intellectuals throughout the years have been essential to the formation of sociology, including Auguste Comte, Harriet Martineau, Karl Marx, and Émile Durkheim. However, the work of Max Weber, one of the founders of sociology, aligns best with my personal beliefs. Weber was born in Erfurt, Germany in 1864 and was raised during a time when Germany was rapidly changing in response to the industrial revolution. He observed the rise of a new economic system called capitalism, prompting his later theory analyzing its foundations. Weber served in the military, studied law, worked as a professor, and published his ideas. His work laid the foundations of interpretive sociology. Weber took an interesting approach to sociology by focusing on the characteristics and thought processes of the individual rather than large amounts of quantitative data. His sociological approach is based on the belief that each individual’s actions are shaped by their surroundings, rather than a set of universal laws that govern all of humanity. Weber’s convincing argument about the foundations of capitalism and his individualistic approach to sociology align with my sociological beliefs.

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