Max Weber and German expressionism

Mary Shields

pp. 214-231

in: Sam Whimster (ed), Max Weber and the culture of anarchy, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 1999

Abstract

Recent writings have extended our understanding of Weber as a personality torn apart by the dichotomies, evident throughout his writings, of irrational experience and rational knowledge, empathy and understanding, subjective and objective, private and public, content (seen as amorphous, dynamic and anarchic) and form (seen as static and rigid). It is recognised that Weber's sense of disintegration gives him a great deal in common with the creative writers of his time; all were in some way aware that the social and intellectual framework which formed their heritage was no longer sustainable. This resulted in an overwhelming sense of cultural crisis — Kulturkrise.

Cited authors

Weber Max