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Essay Subject: Compares views on causes & effects of rise of capitalism, role of history, class struggle, social relations, rational govt.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Compares views on causes & effects of rise of capitalism, role of history, class struggle, social relations, rational govt. Paper Introduction: MARX AND WEBER ON HISTORY AND THE RISE OF CAPITALISM This research paper outlines the theory of Karl Marx (1818-1884) of historical materialism, discusses the views of Max Weber (1864-1920) on the forces which shape history and compares and contrasts the views of Marx and Weber on the rise of capitalism. A fundamental premise of Marx is that economic or material factors determine the course and outcome of history (historical materialism or economic determinism). Weber viewed economics as one among many important factors which contributed to the evolution of human society. He laid considerable emphasis on the importance of charismatic leadership and new ideas as determinants of historical change. He saw the rise of capitalism as the psychological product of a particular set of beliefs which he labeled the Protestant ethic. Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. New York: Avon, 1941.Gerth, H. From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology. . New York: Free, 1947.Weber, Max. Weber believed that history followed cycles, periods of inspirationalleadership which were followed by rationalization and codification in lawof change, which was necessary to preserve political stability. . in Max Weber: The Interpretation of Social Reality. The aggregate of these productive relationships constitute the economic structure of society, the real basis on which a juridical and political superstructure arises, and to which definite forms of social consciousness corresponds. Basic Concepts in Sociology. They also chained people to the machine and madethem commodities, whose wages, the average cost of labor, were always equalto the marginal cost of production which would be established by marketforces at a bare subsistence level. H. . Ed. . Healso pointed out that most of the predictions of Marxism, including theinevitable pauperization of the masses and the occurrence of economiccrises so severe that revolution would be inevitable, had not come true andhad been avoided in the European social democracies ("Speech" 2 6-2 9). Weber said that "proofof a man's state of grace [is demonstrated] through his conscientiousness,which is expressed in the care and method with which he pursues hiscalling" (The Protestant 161). . New York: Appleton- Century-Crofts, 1971.Ebenstein, William, ed. William Ebenstein. New York: Oxford UP, 1946.Marx, Karl, and Friederich Engels. . Marx did not insist that the economic element was the onlydeterminant of history, but, as Engels later explained, he and Marxbelieved it was "ultimately" the most important factor. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1968.Eldridge, J. According to Marx and Engels,"the executive of the modern State is but a committee for managing theaffairs of the . The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. . New York: Rinehart, 1947.Eisenstadt, S. Theintroduction of new production machinery and the division of labor had madefactories more efficient. He was concerned that Marxism's basic tenets, theabolition of private property and the nationalization of the economy, wouldlead to "two administrations [combined] in which one body with commoninterest could no longer be checked . . Max Weber: The Theory of Social and Economic Organization. Weber says that the capitalism grew gradually out of the feudal eraduring a time when "the . He saw politics and life,as did Marx, as "a struggle between nations, classes, and individuals forpower and authority" (Droneberger xii). Ed. Eldridge. T., ed. transformed (The Communist 374). . in Man and the State: Modern Political Ideas. New York: Scribner, 1971.Engels, Friedrich. . New York: Free P, 1947. According to Weber,Lutheranism introduced the radical concept that "fulfillment of duty inworldly affairs [was] the highest form which the moral activity of theindividual could assume" (Weber, The Protestant 8 ). Rpt. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but on the contrary, it is their social existence that determines their consciousness (372). In The Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels said that "the history ofall existing society is the history of class struggles" (373). Rpt. New York: Rinehart, 1947. Marx dogmatically believed in the primacy of economicfactors as the determinants of history. As Marx himselfacknowledged in 1835 "circumstances are changed. Ed. Gerth and C. N., ed. Max Weber: The Interpretation of Social Reality. Weber said that, "when the limitation of consumptionis combined with this release of acquisitive activity, the inevitablepractical result is . . Man and the State: Modern Political Ideas. Marx's Historical Materialism From his studies in Berlin as a young man, Marx was influenced by theideas of German philosophers, especially Georg Hegel and Ludwig Feuerbach.Marx borrowed from Hegel the concept of history as a scientific,ineluctable process. 192-219.Weber, Max. New York: Greenwood, 1962.Weber, Max. . E. Weber supported the experiment of the German government with "warsocialism" but he pointed out that such a system would not work well inpeacetime. Essays in Sociology. New York: Rinehart, 1947. He said that "the regulation of markets, as an economicallyrational policy, has been historically associated with the growth of formalmarket freedom and extension of marketability of goods" (Parsons 183). Weber said that "wealth . However, in Marx' view, the capitalist class had planted the seeds ofits own destruction through its creation of a vast underclass orproletariat which was deprived of the fruits of its labor and was thevictim of cycles of boom and bust, overproduction and other forms ofexploitation. At its core, Calvinism stressed "systematic self-control," thebelief that "God helps those who help themselves" and "the idea of thenecessity of proving one's faith in worldly activity" (Weber, TheProtestant 115, 121). . Hesaid that "the modern bourgeoisie is itself the product of a long course ofdevelopment, of a series of revolutions in the modes of production andexchange" (The Communist 374-375). with the property relationships within which they had moved before . Thus, there is a contrast between Marx and Weber. "Speech for the General Information of Army Officers in Vienna, 1918." Rpt. and trans. to everycapitalistic tendency, rests essentially on the repugnance of impersonalityof relations within a capitalist world" (Weber, "General" 155). By the means of production in their era, Marx and Engelswere referring primarily to technological innovations which enabled capitalto squeeze more efficiency or surplus value out of people and machines. E. Ed. The reasons why man had conferred authority on the state, a"compulsory association," which had a monopoly on the "legitimate use ofphysical force as a means of domination within a territory," were asfollows: (1) tradition "that which has always existed is valid;" (2)emotional attachment; (3) rational beliefs; and (4) law imposedconsensually or by coercion (Weber, The Theory 13 ; Weber, Basic 81). antipathy of Catholic ethics . and trans. Trans. in Max Weber The Theory of Social and Economic Organization. . . 371-383.Marx, Karl. . Weber saidthat "the spirit of capitalism . New York: Scribner, 1958.Weber, Max. Weber favored a rational ordering ofsociety but never lost sight of the fact that its ultimate legitimacydepended on freeing, not confining the human spirit. The question is always whocontrols the existing bureaucratic machinery" (Weber, "Speech" 2 4).Droneberger said that Weber feared that "the position of the individual hasbecome problematic in the face of the numerous institutions of governmentand industry . In most respects, however, Weber disagreed with Marx, hisinterpretation of history and his explanation for the rise of capitalism.As a sociologist, he proceeded empirically from his observations of theindividual man, his atomic building block, and his social relationships andinstitutions. Max Weber. J. Ed. The rise of capitalism had been facilitated by the discovery of theriches of the New World and the development of new markets which Marx said"gave to commerce, to navigation, to industry an impulse never knownbefore," resulting in the destruction of feudal society and the rise of anew ruling class, the capitalists or bourgeoisie (The Communist 374). A fundamental premise of Marx is thateconomic or material factors determine the course and outcome of history(historical materialism or economic determinism). Rpt. . had to fight its way to supremacyagainst a whole host of hostile forces" (Weber, The Protestant 56). Wright Mills. William Ebenstein. Rpt. in Max Weber: Essays in Sociology. Weber was fondof quoting his friend, the poet Stefan George, who said in one of hispoems, "it is only through magic that life stays awake" (Mccrae 99). Weber accuratelydescribed the workings of modern industry and the modern state; yet he wasin some ways a throwback to an earlier pre-industrial eras. which have resulted from the process of rationalization"(282). . H. accumulation of capital through asceticcompulsion to save" (The Protestant 172): Weber held that it was of strategic importance to consider the doctrine of pre-destination, because the dilemma of "proving one's salvation" was posed in its most extreme form, and hence its psychological effect was extraordinarily powerful on the character and conduct of the believer (Eldridge 42-43). New York: Scribner, 1971. The Theory of Social and Economic Organization. Talcott Parsons. New York: Rinehart, 1947. Theses on Feuerbach (1845). Conclusion Marx and Weber both believed in the rational organization of societyand social justice. They offered different views as to thecauses of capitalism. by men" (Engels, "A Letter" 383; Marx, Theses 371). Like Marx, Weber believed that industrialization and the advances intechnology which gave rise to it were here to stay. The Political Thought of Max Weber. Weber viewed economics asone among many important factors which contributed to the evolution ofhuman society. Mccrae said that "he found the orderly routine of a secularizedworld oppressive and calculating, and mechanical order crushing" (97). The mode of production of the material means of existence conditions the whole process of social, political and intellectual life. . 371.Macrae, Donald G. For Weber, "what people thought and believedwas decisive" (Macrae 89). . T. The Communist Manifesto (1848). A. in Man and the State: Modern Political Ideas. He did not subscribe to Marx'smaxim that the end justified the means, but he acknowledged that inpolitics "the attainment of 'good' is bound to the fact that one must bewilling to pay the price of using morally dubious means" (Gerth and Mills121). InWeber's view, the single most important factor which liberated thecapitalist or entrepreneurial spirit from the bonds of feudal society andbroke the closed medieval guild system was the Protestant ethic or, morespecifically, worldly ascetic Calvinism, the belief systems of theBaptists, Methodists, Pietists, Puritans, Quakers and other Protestantsects. Weber was undoubtedly influenced by Marxist analysisbut had a much more penetrating insight into the dynamics of history andthe workings of modern economies than did Marx. He laid considerable emphasis on the importance ofcharismatic leadership and new ideas as determinants of historical change.He saw the rise of capitalism as the psychological product of a particularset of beliefs which he labeled the Protestant ethic. Marx, in the nameof humanism, decries the exploitation and dehumanization of the mass ofhumanity caught up in the toils and deprivations of the factory system, yetproposes a new economic and political order in which the individual is tohew to the party line and to be swallowed up in a vast collective order inorder to achieve utopian goals. The working class, once it was massed together, as requiredfor efficient production, and once it gained sufficient collectivestrength, would rise up, throw off its oppressors, seize by violentrevolution the means of production and establish a socially just society. bourgeoisie [the dominant economic class]" (TheCommunist 375). Henderson and Talcott Parsons. . as aperformance of duty in a calling . From Feuerbach came the concept that essence of man'sbeing was his economic circumstances, namely, as Feuerbach said, "a man iswhat he eats." In 1848, in The Communist Manifesto, Marx and FriedrichEngels wrote the following: [I]n the social production of their material means of existence men enter into definite, necessary relations which are independent of their will, productive relationships which correspond to a definite stage of development of their material productive forces. Ed. The holder of charisma knows only inner determination and inner restraint. Weberdid not believe that economic factors were the only or even the primarycause of historical change. is not only morally permissible,but actually enjoined" (The Protestant 163). . MARX AND WEBER ON HISTORY AND THE RISE OF CAPITALISM This research paper outlines the theory of Karl Marx (1818-1884) ofhistorical materialism, discusses the views of Max Weber (1864-192 ) on theforces which shape history and compares and contrasts the views of Marx andWeber on the rise of capitalism. Ideas, laws,values, religions and political and social structures resulted from andwere expressions of economic developments. Rpt. Escape from Freedom. . . Works CitedDroneberger, Ilse. in Man and the State: Modern Political Ideas. 121.Weber, Max. M. Weber acknowledged that his interpretation might be a "one-sidedspiritualistic causal interpretation of culture and of history" (TheProtestant 183). . Whether, however, Weber was correct or not in hisinterpretation of the rise of capitalism, he challenged Marx'smaterialistic interpretation of its history. Max Weber: On Charisma and Institution Building. . At criticaljunctures, he stressed the importance of charismatic leadership, which hedefined largely in spiritual terms: [N]atural leaders in distress have been holders of specific gifts of the body and spirit; and these gifts have been believed to be supernatural, not accessible to everybody . H., and C. He favored the rationalorganization of society and recognized the need for bureaucracy, which hecalled "the most crucial phenomenon of the modern Western state" (Weber,The Theory 337).He, however, disagreed with Marx that the state should take control ofprivate industry. New York: Viking, 1974.Parsons, Talcott, ed. "A letter to Joseph Block". What theymeant was that, as changes occurred from primitive times to the 19thcentury in the means or forces of production and societal relationships,the latter had to give way: At a certain stage of their development the material productive forces of society come into contradiction with the existing productive relationships . Weber's thinking is moresophisticated and complex and contains some mystical elements, such as hisbelief in the charismatic leader. New York: Oxford UP, 1946. The holder of charisma seizes the task that is adequate for him and demands obedience and a following by virtue of his mission . . 383-385.Fromm, Erich. . Thesurplus so generated would take the form of profits, which would bereinvested for the benefit of factory owners, not for the common good. charismatic domination is the very opposite of bureaucratic domination (Weber, Essays 19-2 ). 183.----------------------- 12 Weber's View of History and Explanation of the Rise of Capitalism Max Weber shared certain tenets with Marx. . Wright Mills, eds. The virtues of these new religions were thrift, self-discipline andthe avoidance of wasting time or "the spontaneous expression ofundisciplined impulses" (Weber, The Protestant 167). With the change in the economic foundation the whole vast super-structure is . Fromm said that Weber believedthat "new religious ideas are responsible for the development of a new typeof economic behavior and a new spirit of culture" (324). William Ebenstein. According to Ebenstein, Marx and Engels meant that "what has doomedall historically known economic system is the fact that when new productiveforces develop, the existing productive relationship stands in the way oftheir proper utilization" (376). . If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.