Max Weber

Max Weber (1864-1920) is recognized throughout the world as the most important classic thinker in the social sciences there is simply no one in the history of the social sciences who has been more influential. The affinity between capitalism and protestantism, the religious origins of the Western world, the force of charisma in religion as well as in politics, the all-embracing process of rationalization and the bureaucratic price of progress, the role of legitimacy and of violence as offsprings of leadership, the disenchantment of the modern world together with the never-ending power of religion, the antagonistic relation between intellectualism and eroticism: all these are key concepts which attest to the enduring fascination of Weber s thinking. The tremendous influence exerted by Max Weber was due not only to the power of his ideas but also to the fact that behind his theories one perceived a man with a marked character and a tragic destiny. However, for nearly 80 years, our understanding of the life of Max Weber was dominated by the biography published in 1926 by his widow, Marianne Weber. The lack of a great Weber biography was one of the strangest and most glaring gaps in the literature of the social sciences. For various reasons the task was difficult; time and again, attempts to write a new biography of Max Weber ended in failure. When Joachim Radkau s biography appeared in Germany in 2005 it caused a sensation. Based on an abundance of previously unknown sources and richly embedded in the German history of the time, this is the first fully comprehensive biography of Max Weber ever to appear. Radkau brings out, in a way that no one has ever done before, the intimate interrelations between Weber s thought and his life experience. He presents detailed revelations about the great enigmas of Weber s life: his suffering and erotic experiences, his fears and his desires, his creative power and his methods of work as well as his religious experience and his relation to nature and to death. By understanding the great drama of his life, we discover a new Max Weber, until now unknown in many respects, and, at the same time, we gain a new appreciation of his work. Joachim Radkau, born in 1943, is Professor of Modern History at the Bielefeld University, Germany. His interest in Max Weber dates back nearly forty years when he worked together with the German-American historian George W. F. Hallgarten (Washington), a refugee who left Germany in 1933 and who, as a student, listened to Weber s last lecture in summer 1920. Radkau s main works include Die deutsche Emigration in den USA (1971); Deutsche Industrie und Politik (together with G. W. F. Hallgarten, 1974), Aufstieg und Krise der deutschen Atomwirtschaft (1983), Technik in Deutschland (1989), Das Zeitalter der Nervosit t (1998), Natur und Macht: Eine Weltgeschichte der Umwelt (2000).

Max Weber (1864-1920) is recognized throughout the world as themost important classic thinker in the social sciences - thereis simply no one in the history of the social sciences who has beenmore influential. The affinity between capitalism andprotestantism, the religious origins of the Western world, theforce of charisma in religion as well as in politics, theall-embracing process of rationalization and the bureaucratic priceof progress, the role of legitimacy and of violence as offspringsof leadership, the 'disenchantment' of the modern worldtogether with the never-ending power of religion, the antagonisticrelation between intellectualism and eroticism: all these are keyconcepts which attest to the enduring fascination of Weber'sthinking.The tremendous influence exerted by Max Weber was due not only tothe power of his ideas but also to the fact that behind histheories one perceived a man with a marked character and a tragicdestiny. However, for nearly 80 years, our understanding of thelife of Max Weber was dominated by the biography published in 1926by his widow, Marianne Weber. The lack of a great Weber biographywas one of the strangest and most glaring gaps in the literature ofthe social sciences. For various reasons the task was difficult;time and again, attempts to write a new biography of Max Weberended in failure.When Joachim Radkau's biography appeared in Germany in 2005it caused a sensation. Based on an abundance of previously unknownsources and richly embedded in the German history of the time, thisis the first fully comprehensive biography of Max Weber ever toappear. Radkau brings out, in a way that no one has ever donebefore, the intimate interrelations between Weber's thoughtand his life experience. He presents detailed revelations about thegreat enigmas of Weber's life: his suffering and eroticexperiences, his fears and his desires, his creative power and hismethods of work as well as his religious experience and hisrelation to nature and to death. By understanding the great dramaof his life, we discover a new Max Weber, until now unknown in manyrespects, and, at the same time, we gain a new appreciation of hiswork.Joachim Radkau, born in 1943, is Professor of Modern History atthe Bielefeld University, Germany. His interest in Max Weber datesback nearly forty years when he worked together with theGerman-American historian George W. F. Hallgarten (Washington), arefugee who left Germany in 1933 and who, as a student, listened toWeber's last lecture in summer 1920. Radkau's mainworks include Die deutsche Emigration in den USA (1971); DeutscheIndustrie und Politik (together with G. W. F. Hallgarten, 1974)Aufstieg und Krise der deutschen Atomwirtschaft (1983), Technik inDeutschland (1989), Das Zeitalter der Nervosität (1998), Naturund Macht: Eine Weltgeschichte der Umwelt (2000).

Acknowledgements xiiPreface to the English Edition xiiiAbbreviations xviiiAt the Den of the Sick Lion 1Part I The Violation of Nature1 Great Mother and Harsh Nature: A Precocious Youth on theMargins of Berlin 72 Max and Minimax: Blood Brothers and Drinking Companions Surly Fraternity as a Primary Social Experience 253 From Father's Boy to Mother's Boy: A ComradelyMarriage and the Day of Judgement for the Father 394 Antaeus, Antiquity and Agrarians: The Unshackling ofCreativity through the Earthing of Culture 705 Eruptions from the Ice: Creativity as Natural Catastrophe966 A 'Gospel of Struggle' and Old German Corpulence:From Lifestyle Crisis through Creativity Crisis to ExistentialCrisis 117Part II Nature's Revenge7 The Demons: The Wildness of Nature and the Riddle of Sexuality1458 'A Sort of Spiritualistic Construction of the ModernEconomy': The Protestant Ethic and the Vain Quest forRedemption through the Spirit 1799 South - North - West - East: ChangingAttempts at Spiritual Conquest of the World 20810 From the 'Essay of Sighs' to'Psychophysics': the Seven-Year Fight with Naturalismagainst Naturalism 25011 From the Eranos Circle to the 'Erotic Movement':New Roots and New Milieux 27512 Max Weber's Love-Hate for the Germans 316Part III Salvation and Illumination13 Value-Free Science, Love and Music 34514 Charisma 39015 The Naturalness of Community - The Disguised Naturalismin Economy and Society 40516 From Deborah's Song of Triumph to the 'Titans ofthe Holy Curse': Pacifist Herdsmen, Prophets and Pariahs the Israelites 42717 World War and Flight from the World 45018 Great Speeches, the Great Love and Death 48119 Epilogue: Powerplay and the Wrangling over Max Weber'sSpirit 551Notes 572Index 667