WEBER AND FOUCAULT

Comparison of Weber and Foucault

Comparison of Weber and Foucault

Introduction

Max Weber and Foucault are two significant thinkers of the time. The main focus of the paper will be developed on their views and opinions along with their contribution to the field of applied social sciences. The paper also argues that Foucault's writing develops ideas that where in embryo with Weber, in terms of the structure and implementation of power.

We will continue our paper with the introduction of the history and background of the two sociologists and then look upon their work and philosophies in comparison and contrast of each other.

Max Weber

Max Weber is probably best known in the field of sociology than of economics. In fact, it is considered by many as the greatest German authority in the social sciences. However, their contributions to the economy are quite interesting, to connect the science to political and religious. As a sociologist, Weber offers a first-hand testimony about the crisis in and the emergence of modern states Prussian tradition; aristocratic, authoritarian, and patriarchal. The Germany, at his time, was aware of the social, historical and intellectual depth as a part of modernism and distance between legal and social realities. Weber's most important works of socio-economic point of view are religious-sociological studies on the significance of the particular religion of the economic behaviour of members of a culture; people or a certain social class. Early research of Max Weber focused on economic issues, some of them carried out on behalf of the reformist intellectuals known as "academic socialist." Since1893, he was professor at various German universities, mainly in Heidelberg, except that the years 1898-1906 when he was suffering from severe depression and left teaching to devote to travel and investigate.

Weber was born in Erfurt in the former Prussia, April 21, 1864. He was the eldest of eight children of a Prussian lawyer and politician, who came from a family of textile manufacturers. The prestige gained by his early writings brought him in 1893, the appointment of Professor of Political Economy, University of Freiburg and a year later, and the description in the same chair at the University of Heidelberg. It was here where fate would play a trick on Max Weber. He is the author of numerous books and essays, some published years after his death, and considered one of the founders of modern sociology, politics, economics, religion and history. He was one of the great thinkers of his time.

Michel Foucault

Michel Foucault (1925-1984) was a prominent philosopher of the second part of 20th century. His work shows a consistent deep based on the study of multilink between the constitution of knowledge, power relations and subjectivities process within the different historical periods based primarily on the text of 'Discipline' and 'Punishment'.

Foucault attributed to his own work influences that included Max Weber. In turn, his legacy has shaped the contributions of innumerable social scientists, notable among them Pierre Bourdieu, Anthony Giddens, Nancy Fraser, and Edward Said. His intellectual presence felt throughout the social sciences, remains ...