Research On Value Problems In Weber's Social Science Methodology

Marx profoundly revealed the characteristics of alienation in capitalism.Lukács' reification theory,Horkheimer's and Adorno's dialectics of enlightenment,Marcuse's one-dimensioned man,and Habermas' s theory of communication action are all extensions of Marx's alienation theory.One of the common features of these ideas is that they all absorbed Weber's rationalization thought on the basis of Marx's alienation theory.In the absence of the ultimate value,Weber realized that to overcome the conflict between rationality and irrationality,the value problems are the key,and the rational honesty is Weber's new requirement.Weber is committed to the rationalization of Western capitalist society,as well as the loss of meaning and freedom after the disenchanted world.He profoundly revealed the characteristics of formal rationality and substantial irrationality in modern society.The conflict between rationality and irrationality is an important part of Weber's ideological conflict and internal tension.Understanding Weber's thoughts and analyzing the value problems in his social science methodology cannot be separated from the background of historical crisis.Faced with the collapse of the metaphysical system,Neo-Kantians thought that Kant's view of rationality seemed to be able to solve this crisis.Therefore,value philosophy that divided facts and values was proposed.While Germany's traditional reflective tradition has a clear demarcation between natural sciences and social sciences.Natural science methods cannot be applied to social sciences unconditionally.Social sciences have unique methodologies applicable to themselves.Western science and beliefs are developed along two different paths.Faith can never be explained and understood by science.Weber's principle of value neutrality seeks to achieve Kant's work in the natural realm of the social field.This thesis takes the value problems as the main logical line and analyzes Weber's position of reconciliation of value relevance and value neutrality,reveals the inner tension of Weber's social science methodology,and combines its methodology with empirical argumentation of capitalist society.This thesis aims to explore how to understand the historical crisis and how to thoroughly analyze of the limits and transcendence between facts and values,instrumental rationality and value rationality.Chapter 1 of the thesis mainly expounds the rise of Neo-Kantianism's value philosophy and the dispute of methodology in the context of historical crisis.It points out Weber's historical background in the research of social science methodology.Chapter 2 is the main part of the thesis.It mainly analyzes Weber's a priori premise of using value relevance as its social science methodology,of using the ideal type approach to uphold the basic principle of value neutrality,and it further shows his ethical value position.Weber demonstrated the inherent tension of social science methodology by reconciling value.Chapter 3 further explores the inheritance and criticism of Weber's rationalization thought by Western Marxists who combined Lukacs' s reification theory and the Frankfurt School's instrumental rational criticism,and who revealed the inheritance and influence of value problems in Weber's social science methodology.Conclusion mainly analyzes the fact that although Weber insists on the objective validity of social science,it does not exclude the value factor.From the perspective of dialectics,value relevance is the a priori premise of Weber's social science methodology.It is this a priori premise that causes Weber's theory to be subjective.In order to make up for the distance between the subjective structure and the reality,Weber realizes the ideal type,and hopes to overcome the subjectivity of the ideal type through experience.Although the ideal type can be used as a means to measure reality,it is,after all,external,abstract,and a transcendental construction,not from the thing itself,not from the fact that the thing itself is formed according to its inherent development logic.Marx affirmed the rationalization of capitalism,but at the same time,he profoundly pointed out that the contradictions within capitalism must shake their existing state,and capitalism will inevitably perish.Although Weber pointed out the characteristics of modern society's rationalization in his empirical analysis,he can be critical in terms of cultural rationalization.Once faced with the economic and political aspects of social rationalization that may shake the foundation of capitalism,Weber stops being critical,and thus he can't essentially reveal the fundamental contradiction of capitalism.On the surface,Marx and Weber have great differences,but what Weber is opposed to is the vulgar historical materialism,not the historical materialism that Marx and Engels created at the beginning.Neither Marx nor Weber saw any single factor as the only force that determines history,and their ideas are not mutually exclusive.Regarding the development of Marxism,Weber's thought can be seen as a supplement and development to Marxism,and Western Marxism is a good example of the inheritance and development of alienation theory and rationalization thought.The question of how to grasp the scale of value neutrality and how to treat extreme value-neutrality will lead to lack of morality in human history and practice.The question of how to grasp the tension between the two is a great dilemma faced by mankind.Otherwise,the more sincere the pursuit of rationality,the more serious the catastrophes caused to humans in the absence of value.Weber's social science methodology not only provides people with a way to explain social sciences,but also has a deep reflection on the historical situation of human beings.Although Weber did not find a way to overcome alienation as Marx did,he courageously took up the rationalized fate of society with his intellectually honest attitude,and with unparalleled efforts to actively resolve the loss of meaning and the loss of value and pointed out a new direction for the people.