Max Weber und der Geist des Marxismus? Der „Historische Materialismus“ in Webers Werk

Abstract

Max Weber and the spirit of Marxism? “Historical Materialism” in Weber’s work

Max Weber's methodological and historical approaches are often seen as a refutation of Karl Marx's epistemological and socio-economic theories. However, Weber developed his theories several decades after Marx, and the following paper discusses the question of whether there are traces of Marx's work in two of Weber's most influential publications. The aim is to show that there are lines of argumentation in both his methodological framework and his historical analysis that point to a certain, albeit subtle, influence that Karl Marx's theory of "historical materialism" exerted on Weber.