Lecture 16

Question 1

What is value orientation?

Answer 1

• value relevance
• despite the value laden, the results of research should not be objective
• Values drive our research, it contributes to objective knowledge
• it brodens horrizon of knowledge instead of limiting it
• our knowledge is limited so we need more perspective

Question 2

what is the ideal type?

Answer 2

• a construct by sociologist that is used that blends/integrates an individualizing/generalizing method
• They are constructs that don’t reflect reality, knowledge
• concepts are constructs/generative
• Ideal type is a tool/construct that sociologists generate that account for discovering general and specific aspects
• development methodology is abstract and specific features
• we never encounter them in reality

Question 3

What are general approaches

Answer 3

• General approaches (nomothetic) aim to discover/identify general laws/universals, basic mechanics of a phenomenon
• Natural Vs cultural sciences can use general approaches

Question 4

What are individualizing approaches ?

Answer 4

• (ideographic) logical, look at what’s unique, distinct, looking for singularity, specific features
• natural Vs cultural sciences can use individualizing approaches

Question 5

What type is capitalism

Answer 5

• type of economic function/practice

Question 6

what type is Protestantism?

Answer 6

• type of religion

Question 7

Why did Weber criticize compte and Durkheim?

Answer 7

• because our concepts a views do not reflect reality as they are constructs

Question 8

How to think of abstractions?

Answer 8

• as blue prints
• difference between ideal worlds of ideas and the indefinite dimension of the real
• • ex: clown: to identify a person, need a person to be clumsy, type/feature, but not every clown will have these features of my typology
• typology (abstractions) even if there are empirical manifestations of it

Question 9

When classifying ideal types..

Answer 9

• it’s not the quantity, but rather the quality
• ideal types are not true of false, they are helpful or unhelpful
  Weber doesn’t consider the politics of concepts

Question 10

Whats the concept of Objective possibility?

Answer 10

• By Edward Myer’s of adequate and accidental causation
• Try and create a space of analysis (influence significance) and not about establishing direct causation
• He develops probalistic instead

Question 11

How does Weber approach to concept of objective possibility

Answer 11

• Try to deconstruct it
• causal relationship of this type, a historian needs to construct a possible plan of events and remove what they deem significant from the equation (how likely/probably this event would happen)

Question 12

what are the 2 possibilites of the battle example?

Answer 12

1. Greek victory
   - - independence, flourishing of culture, democracy, reason and science
2. Persian victory
   - - Persian King would have emphasized on theocratic religious culture

Question 13

Continuation on the battle example

Answer 13

• Does not mean that this victory is a single cause, there are complex
• establishing an event of significance (outlook on the world)
• can only speculate on point 2
• not a fail-safe approach

Question 14

What’s adequate causation/influence

Answer 14

• In terms of cause, it’s significant and influential

Question 15

What’s accidental causation/influence

Answer 15

• May have triggered historical events, but it’s likely that something else triggered it

Question 16

Is history rational?

Answer 16

• History itself is not rational, we produce the meanings after the fact

Question 17

What is interpretative sociology?

Answer 17

• sociologists interpret the meaning of social actions (in particular socio historical contexts)
• aim to explain society, sociologists must get what drives what social action, produces social meanings
• the more values of a group is troublesome/foreign the more difficult it would be to engage in an interpretive sociology

Question 18

What is natural science

Answer 18

• observe empirical reality and generate concepts to explain their observation
• understanding comes after the explanation

Question 19

What is cultural science ?

Answer 19

• understanding preceedes explanation
• deal with subjectivity, intention, conscious awareness
• Rationl interpretation (direct understanding of a goal of an action) using logic, mathematical, intellectual understanding
• • ex: watch someone chapping wood, we understand that their goal is to cut wood`

Question 20

What is rational interpretation?

Answer 20

• (direct understanding of a goal of an action) using logic, mathematical, intellectual understanding
• • ex: watch someone chapping wood, we understand that their goal is to cut wood`

Question 21

What is empathetic interpretation?

Answer 21

• (indirect, explanatory understanding that implicates the goal, motive)
• based on feelings
• more artistic
• felt understanding achieved through reliving with our imagination

Question 22

The three levels of empathetic interpretation

Answer 22

1. The individual level
   - - Ex: John washed dishes
   - - goal: wash dishes
   - - motivation: please roomate
2. Group
   - - intentions of an average agent
   - - Ex: North americans go to banks to do financial transactions
   - - motive: secure comfortable future
3. Ideal typical level
   - - sociologists have the greater degree of abstractions
   - - Ex: in capitalist economy
   - - motivation: generate capital (ideal typically is to generate more capital)

Question 23

What are social actions?

Answer 23

• What motivates people
• involves an interaction with more and others
• can be related to the past (ex: seeking revenge)
• can be related to the present (EX: you hurt me now)
• oriented towards future (EX: develop precaution when starting business)
• communicative aspect of actions
• no sharp dividing lines/unclear boundaries of these actions

Question 24

What are actions?

Answer 24

• something we do because it is subjectively meaningful to us as an agent in the world
• external actions
• Ex: typing something unless i am texting, it is considered a social action
• internal actions (Ex:meditation)
• some actions are naturally reactive (EX: raning leads to people opening their umbrellas

Question 25

What are traditional actions?

Answer 25

• expressions of settled actions, habits, routines, (mostly irrational, moe automatic ) rites, habitual ways of doing things

Question 26

What are affective/emotional actions?

Answer 26

• expressions of emotional impulses (if it becomes more conconscious/deliberate it falls into the other category)
• actions driven by emotions, passions, motivation/urge to satisfy/release
• less effort and deliberate
• not reactive, it’s conscious

Question 27

What are value rational actions?

Answer 27

• motivated by principles, convictions
• what matters is the conviction and not the conseuqence
• attempts to realize an utimatevalue or principle
• there’s osmething irrational about it, because there are things that defeat the purpose, paradoxical if the consequences defeat the goal

Question 28

What are end-rational actions?

Answer 28

• instrumental rationality: considers the best means realistically to reach an end
• accounts for it’s irrationality
• anticipates the irrationality of the world : per relations and antagonistic)
• actions that are more realistic
• intention is driven by reflexivity