Description
Book SynopsisKim's interpretation effectively highlights the relevance of Weber's political thought for our time, in which civil society has once again become the dominant issue for a robust liberal democratic regime.
Trade Review"Kim's book is an erudite, thoroughly researched, and insightful rereading of Weber. It is also highly relevant to contemporary democratic theory." Perspectives on Political Theory
"Sung Ho Kim has produced an outstanding revision of Max Weber's political thought within the context of Weber's work on the sociology of religion." Leonard Seabrooke, The Review of Politics
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Part I. Of 'Sect Man': The Modern Self and Civil Society in Max Weber: 1. Agency, citizenship and civil society; 2. Reading Weber: between politics and science; 3. In search of the Protestant ethic thesis; 4. Outline of the argument; Part II. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Individualism: 5. Introduction: 'the last of our heroisms'; 6. 'A rationalization toward an irrational conduct of life'; 7. Calling: sanctification and regimentation of everyday life; 8. Predestination: objectification of the world and disempowerment of the self; 9. Empowering the individual agency: self-mastery and discipline; 10. Conclusion: value, rationality and freedom; Part III. The Protestant Sects and the Spirit of Civil Society: 11. Introduction: sociability of the Puritan Berufsmensch; 12. Gemeinschaft, Gesellschaft and Amerikanismus; 13. Modes of sociability: America versus Europe; 14. Sect contra church: particularism and voluntarism; 15. Secularization of charisma: from sect to status group and bureaucracy; 16. Conclusion: The public and the private; Part IV. Politics, Science, Ethics: 17. Introduction: Götterdämmerung; 18. Disenchantment and reenchantment; 19. Conviction, responsibility and decision; 20. Practice of the self I: realpolitik; 21. Practice of the self II: ideal type; 22. Conclusion: modernity, conscience and duty; Part V. Liberalism, Nationalism and Civil Society: 23. Introduction: liberalism and nationalism; 24. National identities, nation-states and the political; 25. Nationalism, citizenship and personality; 26. Politics of the classes: refeudalization and embourgeoisement; 27. Politics of checks and balances: corporatism and parliamentarianism; 28. Conclusion: 'the school of men'; Part VI. Max Weber's Politics of Civil Society: 29. Statecraft and soulcraft in Max Weber; 30. Purpose, contestation and the political; 31. Bowling alone; References; Index.
