Max Weber Sociology Essay Example

ethical purposes. This is achieved through calculated means, such as self-denial in the pursuit of holiness.

According to Ray (1999:169), the pursuit of a goal is valuable in and of itself, regardless of the possibility of success. The ends are considered more important than calculations. For example, Protestant asceticism encourages devotees to dedicate their lives to God in order to attain salvation through self-denial and worship. Goal-rational (zweckrational) action involves carefully considering the ends, means, secondary consequences, and alternative courses of action in order to choose a goal based on rationality (L. Ray 1999:169). This type of action is aimed at achieving a mundane goal, such as earning a living through certain techniques. There are two subtypes of this action. The first is instrumental action, pursued in order to obtain a reward, such as profit and loss calculations (L.

According to Ray (1999:169), formal rational action is a type of action where following rules becomes an end in itself. Examples of this include the democratic political system and the judiciary. In this analysis of reading B, "Tools for conviviality" by Ivan Illich, I will be using concepts from Max Weber to discuss and explain the literature from a Weberian perspective. The opening paragraph emphasizes the scientific achievements and capabilities of modernity. With modern tools, we can understand nature in new ways and can propel ourselves into a hyper industrial age or develop a variety of convivial tools. Modernity and tools are key themes in this paragraph. According to Weber, modernity is the result of rationalization, which enables measurement, calculation, invention, and the creation of instruments that would not be possible without it (A. Oattes, 2004). Rationalization is

a multi-dimensional process that leads to social change.

From religious to secular, magical to scientific, and personal to impersonal, this literature explores the author's discussion of how science has replaced magic, enabling mankind to achieve remarkable advancements. Science has empowered individuals to create and invent technologies that drastically reduce travel time, allowing people to traverse countries in a matter of hours rather than months, and even venture beyond Earth to reach the moon. The author also highlights technology as not only a means of mechanical labor but also as a source of entertainment for the modern world's vast population. Examples such as television and the internet are mentioned, both offering an abundance of choices for individuals seeking entertainment. With the aid of technology, specialist workers will continue to increase, resulting in a rise in bureaucracy. Max Weber famously distinguished modern capitalism from other monetary systems by emphasizing its highly bureaucratic nature. In industrial settings, rational accounting procedures and methods were implemented (K.

According to Morrison (1998:340), procedures can coordinate and mobilize physical resources such as land, machinery, and tools that private operations use for production. In Reading B, the author mentions that increased productivity offers a wide range of choices. Through rationalization and scientific development, lay people can diagnose and treat others without the need for a specialist surgeon. The author suggests that science has developed treatments that can be carried out by anyone trained to operate the necessary machines. Modern medicine exemplifies this concept, as doctors use machines to diagnose and treat patients, and laypeople could learn to do the same. Similarly, in the modern world, drugs are preferred over surgery for preventing and healing major

illnesses, whereas pre-modern societies relied on herbal remedies and rituals. The article further explains that certain professions have a monopoly over their work due to specialization and certification requirements.

The text emphasizes that progress in modern society is characterized by growing dependence rather than self-care competence. This is due to the process of rationalization and bureaucracy, which Weber argues has led to dependence in capitalist societies. Additionally, the article highlights the exaggeration of value and standardized products in industrialized societies. However, this does not guarantee that we are getting the best for our money, as Weber suggests that everything comes at a price in modernity (A.Oattes, 2004). The author questions the validity of rationalization and science, particularly in relation to deprofessionalization in medicine. They argue that while deprofessionalization may increase quackery, professionally calculated damages make quackery less convincing. Another aspect mentioned in the article is transportation, specifically the impact of private cars and highways on people's mode of travel. As an example, it discusses a peasant who now has to take the bus to the market to purchase packaged industrialized commodities.

According to Weber, the common man has lost the mobility he once had without gaining any new freedom. This exemplifies his point that human life is increasingly constrained and rationalized in modern bureaucratic organizations, creating an "iron cage" in which people are confined. The article also discusses the need to continuously develop advanced technology to meet the demands of modern capitalist industries. Peasants are now referred to as personal staff and accompany their barons, now called managing directors or chief executives, in luxury helicopters. Weber would interpret this as evidence of highly organized and increasingly bureaucratic

organizations in modern capitalist societies (A. Oattes 2004).

Part 3: This essay will explore why Weber believed that we lead "disenchanted" social lives in modern society and how he reached this conclusion.

In this text, I will examine the reasons for disillusionment in our social lives in modern times and whether we are finding ways to regain a sense of enchantment elsewhere. Ultimately, I will evaluate the validity of Weber's assertion in modern societies. Weber adopted the term 'the disenchantment of the world' from Schiller (Jenkins. R 2000:11). According to Schroeder 1995 cited in Jenkins. R 2000:12, Weber believed that the gradual loss of enchantment in the world stemmed from modernity, and his definitive understanding of disenchantment defines modernity.

Weber did not criticize modernity or present ideas that were opposed to modernity. Instead, he recognized the negative aspects of modernity resulting from rationalization and increased bureaucracy (Jenkins, 2000). Weber's study on disenchantment revealed that modernity allowed for understanding and explanation through rational means and scientific investigation. Additionally, he observed the decline of magical beliefs and the growth of secularization as contributing factors to disenchantment, where the world became more human-centered and the universe became more impersonal. The issue of disenchantment arose from the forms of rationalized routine enforced by bureaucracy and authoritative policy regimes, as explained by Weber (Jenkins).

According to R (2000:13), the disenchantment of people in modernity was partly caused by governed regimes of authority, such as the government, the law, and policy-makers. Modern disenchantment can be likened to progress without personal meaning or attachment, with everything being systematic and routine. In simple terms, it could be described as the idea of working continuously in an office

from 9 to 5 with no ultimate goal other than increasing capital. During work hours, people are referred to as colleagues rather than friends, emphasizing the systematic and bureaucratic nature of modernity. The rise of secularisation led to a shift in religious beliefs, reducing them to mere private rituals. Faith in the unseen became a subject of debate, and rationalization through calculated and scientific means became the answer to every question. Modernity increased man's power to create and manipulate nature, a power that was originally attributed solely to God. This is why people were more enchanted and inclined to believe in an ultimate force or being. However, with the advent of modernity and rationalization, the once-unexplained phenomena that fascinated people began to decrease, leading to the promotion of anti-traditionalist ideas. As a result, secularisation became the preferred faith for many.

The text discusses the aspect of disenchantment in modernity and the impact of secular capitalism on individuals. According to Weber, modern routines can make people seem robotic and lacking in spirit. Unlike the old idea of Protestant capitalism, which emphasized the importance of honoring God and discouraged excessive wealth or work, secular capitalism in modern western societies encourages the accumulation of wealth for its own sake and working solely for the sake of work. Disenchantment is a prevalent trend in modernity, and it continues to be a topic of debate and investigation regarding how much people have become spiritually devoid.

Considering disenchantment as a trait of modernity, it is worth exploring the alternative forms of enchantment that secular capitalism offers. These include attachment to collective interests or tribal identities such as ethnicity, sexualities, intoxicants, ecstasies, and various

forms of escapism such as television, computer games, the internet, and consumerist cultural hedonism (Jenkins. R 2000:13).

In secular capitalism, attachments can serve as either enchantment or a means to re-enchantment. Re-enchantment has now become a rationalized business in secular capitalist societies (Jenkins, R 2000:13). Jenkins brings our attention to politics as a form of re-enchantment, with its rituals, symbols, and national theatrics. He also mentions the flashy spectacle of party conferences and conventions, as well as the staged drama of international summitry. The organized production and consumption of various forms of 'culture' can be seen as the most cynical form of 'disenchantment enchantment' (Ritzer 1999 cited in Jenkins, R 2000:13). In the 21st century, every aspect of the entertainment industry is systematically designed to enchant us. However, it begs the question of whether it truly enchants us or simply demoralizes us in modernity. Through these re-enchantments, we are encouraged to prioritize materialism, consumption-driven behavior, escapism, and ultimately lose touch with reality.

The concept of bureaucratic re-enchantment is prevalent in secular capitalist societies, where people find enchantment through symbols such as national flags or through experiences like music and food. Nationalism has become a new form of modernity that enchants individuals (A.Ottes 2004). However, religious events like Christmas have lost some of their enchantment in these societies, as they have become opportunities for consumerism and immoral behavior fueled by alcohol. People engage in ostentation, competing to have the most luminously decorated house or buy the most expensive gift, often accumulating debt in the process. Ultimately, Weber believed that modernity, with its focus on material gain and power, leads to a disenchanted social life and neglects human

needs. Despite its irreversible nature, modernity traps us even more cruelly in an inhuman society of expanding economic and political power (Bilton et al 1996:601).

According to Weber's conclusion in Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism, we have become specialists without spirit and sensationalists without heart. This sense of emptiness leads us to believe that we have reached a level of civilization that has never been achieved before (Weber 1930:182 cited in Bilton et al 1996:601).