Max Weber and Contemporary Capitalism

This book explores the uses and limits of Max Weber's work for thinking sociologically about capitalism today. By reading between Weber and a range of contemporary theorists, from Gilles Deleuze though to Ulrich Beck and Zygmunt Bauman, the book argues that the ongoing value of Weber's work lies in the concepts that underpin his economic and cultural sociology. These concepts can be assembled into a network of thinking devices that can be used to frame a sociological understanding of the present. Weber's method of concept formation is reconsidered before five main concepts, in turn, are developed and assessed: capitalism, market, neoliberalism, class and modernity. It is argued that while these concepts are not without limits, they can be read creatively to provide a basis for renewed analysis of the social dynamics and cultural complexities of contemporary capitalism.

AcknowledgementsIntroductionMethodCapitalismMarketsNeoliberalismClassModernityConclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Index