Max Weber was one of the most influential and creative intellectual forces of the twentieth century. In his methodology of the social sciences, he both exposed the flaws and solidified the foundations of the German historical tradition. Throughout his life, he saw bureaucracy as a serious obstacle to cultural vitality but as an inescapable part of organizational rationality. And in his most famous essay, on the Protestant ethic, he uncovered the psychological underpinnings of capitalism and modern occupational life.
This searching work offers the first comprehensive introduction to Weber's thought for students and newcomers. Fritz Ringer locates Weber in his historical context, relating his ideas to the controversies and politics of his day. Ringer also considers the importance of Weber to contemporary life, discussing his insights into the limits of scholarly research and the future of Western capitalist societies. Weber, Ringer reminds us, believed in democracy, liberalism, and fundamental human rights; his ethic of responsibility remains as vital to our historical moment as it was to his own.
A concise and incisive look at the man and personality behind the thought, "Max Weber" is a masterful outing in intellectual biography and social theory.

德国最后的文化贵族已经在二战前被终结了。关于这一代欧洲文人，韦伯做过类比，说他们近似中国儒家学者(Mandarins)，其“地位来自教育与学识，而非世袭权力或财富”。关键是：中国学人饱读诗书、珍爱文化，同时具备政治抱负、治国才干。如此进退自如，可谓知识分子理想型。这一代文人都很讲文化民族主义，到了现在，被布尔迪厄通通批为“文化保守主义”一代，并认为他们要对纳粹兴起负主要责任。真是驴唇不对马嘴啊。