Weber's piece on the development of the north-European Western city has not commanded attention in the recent theoretical literature. This article argues that it can however provide fresh insights into some key problems of Weber’s diagnosis of modernity and into his general sociological theory, especially as to his theory of action and creativity. A more open-ended conception of modernity can be gained from its analysis, which is more compatible with Weber’s own methodological assumptions. A different relationship between freedom and rationality may be derived as a theoretical and political consequence from the discussion of The City.
Alexander, J. (1983) Theoretical Logic in Sociology, Vol. 3, The Classical Attempt at Theoretical Synthesis: Max Weber. Los Angeles and Berkeley: University of California Press.
2.
Aron, R. (1967) Les Etapes de la pensée sociologique. Paris: Gallimard.
3.
Avritzer, L. (1996) A moralidade da democracia. São Paulo: Perspectiva; Belo Horizonte: Editora da UFMG.
4.
Bendix, R. (1960) Max Weber: An Intellectual Portrait. Los Angeles and Berkeley: University of California Press.
5.
Cohen, J. and Arato, A. (1992) Civil Society and Political Theory. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
6.
Cohn, G. (1979) Crítica e resignação. Fundamentos da sociologia de Max Weber. São Paulo: T. A. Queiroz.
7.
Domingues, J. M. (1995) Sociological Theory and Collective Subjectivity. London: Macmillan; New York: St Martin’s Press.
8.
Domingues, J. M. (2000) Social Creativity, Collective Subjectivity and Contemporary Modernity. London: Macmillan; New York: St Martin’s Press.
9.
Fleischmann, E. (1964) ‘De Weber a Nietzsche’, Archives européenes de sociologie 5.
10.
Freund, J. (1982) ‘Préface’, in M. Weber, La Ville. Paris: Aubier Montaigne.
11.
Gerth, H. and Wright Mills, C. (1946) ‘Introduction: The Man and his Work’, in From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
12.
Giddens, A. (1971) Capitalism and Modern Social Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
13.
Giddens, A. (1990) The Consequences of Modernity. Cambridge: Polity.
14.
Habermas, J. (1981) Theorie des kommunikativen Handelns. Frankfurt-am-Main: Suhrkamp.
15.
Habermas, J. (1992) Fakzität und Geltung. Frankfurt-am-Main: Suhrkamp.
16.
Jaspers, K. (1932) Max Weber. Politiker, Forcher, Philosoph. Munich: Piper, 1958.
17.
Kalberg, S. (1994) Max Weber’s Comparative Historical Sociology. Cambridge: Polity.
18.
Mann, M. (1986) The Sources of Social Power, Vol. 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
19.
Mommsen, W. (1981) ‘The Antinomical Structure of Max Weber’s Political Thought’, in The Political and Social Thought of Max Weber. Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press, 1989.
20.
Nelson, B. (1969) ‘Conscience and the Making of Early Modern Cultures. The Protestant Ethic beyond Max Weber’, Social Research36-36.
21.
Nelson, B. (1974) ‘Max Weber’s “Author’s Introduction”: A Master Clue to his Main Aims’, Sociological Inquiry44-44.
22.
Parsons, T. (1937) The Structure of Social Action. New York: Free Press.
23.
Raynaud, P. (1987) Max Weber et les dilemmes de la raison moderne. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.
24.
Schluchter, W. (1979) The Rise of Western Rationalism. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1981.
25.
Schluchter, W. (1988) Religions und Lebensführung, Vol. 2. Frankfurt-am-Main: Suhrkamp.
26.
Schwentker, W. (1996) ‘A paixão como modo de vida. Max Weber, o círculo de Otto Gross e o erotismo’, Revista brasileira de ciências sociais 32.
27.
Souza, J. (1997) Patologias da Modernidade. Um diálogo entre Habermas e Weber. São Paulo: Anna Blume.
28.
Thompson, J. B. (1995) The Media and Modernity. Cambridge: Polity.
29.
Turner, B. (1993) ‘Contemporary Problems in the Theory of Citizenship’, in Bryan S. Turner (ed.) Citizenship and Social Theory. London: Sage.
30.
Weber, M. (1904a) ‘Die Objektivität sozialwissenschftlicher und sozialpolitischer Erkenntnis’, in Schriften zur Wissenschaftlehre. Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam, 1991.
31.
Weber, M. (1904b) ‘Vorbemerkung’, in Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Religionssoziologie, Vol. I. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1920.
32.
Weber, M. (1904–5) ‘Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus’, in Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Religionssoziologie, Vol. I. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1920.
33.
Weber, M. (1906a) ‘Die protestantische Sekten und der Geist der Kapitalismus’, in Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Religionssoziologie, Vol. I. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1920.
34.
Weber, M. (1906b) ‘Objektive Möglichkeit und adäquate Verursachung in der historischen Kausalbetrachtung’, in Schriften zur Wissenschaftlehre. Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam, 1991.
35.
Weber, M. (1915a) ‘Die Wirtschaft Ethik der Welreligionen’, in Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Religionssoziologie, Vol. I. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1920.
36.
Weber, M. (1915b) ‘Zwischen Betrachtung: Theorie der Stufen und Richtungen religiöser Weltablehnung’, in Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Religionssoziologie, Vol. I. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1920.
37.
Weber, M. (1917) ‘Der Sinn der “Wertfreiheit” der soziologischen und ökonomischen Wissenschften’, in Schriften zur Wissenschaftlehre. Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam, 1991.
38.
Weber, M. (1918) ‘Parlament und Regierung in neugeordneten Deutschland’, in Gesammelte Politische Schriften. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1958.
39.
Weber, M. (1919a) ‘Wissenschaft als Beruf’, in Schriften zur Wissenschaftlehre. Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam, 1991.
40.
Weber, M. (1919b) ‘Politik als Beruf’, in Gesammelte Politische Schriften. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1958.
41.
Weber, M. (1921) ‘Die nichtlegitime Herrschaft (Typologie der Städte)’, in Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1976.
42.
Weber, M. (1921–2) Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1976.
