Karl Marx and Max Weber developed two major competing theories of social change that still play a significant role in sociology today. For both of them, the scientific study of modern capitalism is at the centre of their works. The author of this paper examines Marx's and Weber's respective explanations of the origin of capitalism.
Accordingly, the work deals with those historical and originating forces with which Marx and Weber each differently attempt to explain the emergence of modern capitalism. At first glance, the positions of Marx as the founder of historical materialism and Weber as the representative of a bourgeois sociology seem to be far apart.
The author elaborates the differences and commonalities of both positions and comes to the conclusion that the competing explanatory models of Marx and Weber on the origin of capitalism are closer to each other than one would first assume. If one relativises Marx's tendency towards economic determinism and at the same time avoids a one-sided idealistic interpretation of Weber's position, both theories, despite all their differences, can be combined quite sensibly.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The Model of Max Weber
- Weber's concept of capitalism
- Older Forms of Capitalism
- Modern Occidental Capitalism
- Conditions of the emergence of capitalism
- Material or institutional condition factors
- Ascetic Protestantism and the "Capitalist Spirit"
- Paradoxical upheavals
- Paradox of secularization
- Paradox of rationalization
- Weber's concept of capitalism
- The Model of Karl Marx
- History as a history of class struggles
- The so-called "original accumulation"
- The models of Weber and Marx in comparison
- Similarities
- The New Social Values of Capitalism
- The independence of the results of human action
- Differences
- Idealism versus materialism?
- On the question of immanent developmental logics of history
- Similarities
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This term paper examines the genesis of modern capitalism as explored by Max Weber and Karl Marx. It focuses on their respective explanatory approaches, highlighting the historical and causative forces they identified as driving the emergence of capitalism. The work does not delve into the functioning of capitalism, but rather the historical forces that gave rise to it.
- The emergence of modern capitalism
- The role of material and institutional factors
- The influence of ideology and cultural values
- Comparison of Weber and Marx's perspectives
- The interplay of historical forces and social change
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the paper's topic, highlighting the contrasting theories of Weber and Marx on social change, particularly regarding the emergence of modern capitalism. It outlines the structure and scope of the paper.
- The Model of Max Weber: This chapter delves into Weber's understanding of capitalism, exploring his distinction between older forms of capitalism and modern occidental capitalism. It examines the key conditions that Weber believed facilitated the emergence of modern capitalism, including both material/institutional factors and the influence of ascetic Protestantism.
- The Model of Karl Marx: This chapter presents Marx's perspective on the genesis of capitalism, emphasizing his view of history as a history of class struggles and the significance of "original accumulation."
- The models of Weber and Marx in comparison: This chapter compares and contrasts the theoretical frameworks of Weber and Marx, highlighting both similarities and differences in their approaches to understanding the emergence of modern capitalism. It examines their perspectives on the role of ideology, historical determinism, and the influence of social forces on economic development.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This term paper explores key concepts in the sociological analysis of capitalism, including modern capitalism, rationalization, ascetic Protestantism, class struggle, original accumulation, and historical materialism. The paper analyzes the contrasting perspectives of Max Weber and Karl Marx on the emergence of modern capitalism, shedding light on their respective theoretical frameworks and the enduring relevance of their ideas in contemporary social analysis.
- Quote paper
- Joachim Schmidt (Author), 2003, The Origin of Modern Capitalism. A Comparison of Max Weber and Karl Marx, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1157420
