ECONOMY AND SOCIETY IN THE THEORY OF MAX WEBER
ECONOMY AND SOCIETY IN THE THEORY OF MAX WEBER

Summary/Abstract: The paper is devoted to Weber’s economic sociology, as presented in his monumental treatise entitled ‘Economy and Society’. The very juxtaposition of the title terms prompts one’s interest in their interrelation, i.e. how the boundaries of the economy as a specific substructure of society as a whole are to be delineated. An element which plays an important role in Weberian notion of economic activity is its treatment as a peaceful one, which the author of ‘Economy and Society’ uses to delimit the area of the economy, in particular, to underline its difference from the politico-legal structure. The distinction between a socio-economic approach to property and a legal one is also applied by Weber, which in his theory is conceived as a central component of the economy. However, according to Weber it is disposal that constitutes the most fundamental component of property. This notion is criticized in the paper on the grounds of indispensable distinction between disposal and benefit, which, it is argued, constitutes the essence of property. It is further argued that it is property relations that Weberian theory of class relies upon. However, this theory includes a controversial concept of social class, which violates the rule of formal elegance and coherence that should pertain to scientific theory.

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