Weber's Works (I) -- Academic and Political: Academic and Political

Author: Weber
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: In the late 1980s of the 20th century, China's reform and opening-up were still in its early stages. While achieving significant accomplishments, it also gave rise to many social issues. The situation faced by China's intellectual circles bore some resemblance to the circumstances Weber encountered with the German nation-state in the late 19th century. Weber described himself as an "economic nationalist" in terms of national interests and as someone who aspired to "make politics one's calling" in the political life of the nation, acting according to the ethics of responsibility. Weber's unconventional insights, as well as his discussion of modern capitalism as a rational labor organization, may offer some inspiration for Chinese thinkers. This book includes Weber's two famous speeches: "Academia as a Vocation" and "Politics as a Vocation." These speeches were delivered in Munich, a hub of Germany's "new" culture under the shadow of war and revolution, shortly before Weber's death. They are among the most important documents of 20th-century thought. Weber synthesizes his lifelong academic, intellectual, moral, and political concerns, offering a comparative analysis from historical and sociological perspectives, as well as a critical reflection on moral values. Through these efforts, he provides a stern definition and a generous appeal regarding the nature, conditions, and limitations of academic knowledge and political action. These works compel readers to confront the hardships of modern life with a "heroic ethic" and to seize the faint hope for human dignity in the "ordinary work before us."