Sociology & Political Economy
Max Weber
The Sociologist Who Named the Iron Cage
Where to Start Reading
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
Weber's most famous argument: how Calvinist anxiety about salvation accidentally produced the work ethic that built capitalism. Controversial, brilliant, and more readable than its reputation suggests. The Parsons translation is standard; the Baehr/Wells version is newer and sharper.
Politics as a Vocation
A single lecture from 1919 that defines the ethics of political leadership. Weber distinguishes the ethic of conviction from the ethic of responsibility — a framework every decision-maker should know. 50 pages.
Economy and Society (selections)
Weber's unfinished magnum opus — read the selections on types of authority and bureaucracy, not the whole 1,500 pages. The concepts of charismatic, traditional, and rational-legal authority remain the standard framework.
“Politics is a strong and slow boring of hard boards.”