The limits of one-dimensional theory are strikingly revealed in the schools that the founders of the major sociological traditions established. In this volume Max Weber is presented as the theorist who laid out new starting points and the author considers his work as a response, in part, to the idealist tradition which (in Volume 2), he maintains that Durkheim represents. As Weber was less able to avoid ambiguity, the author examines the weaknesses and efforts at 'paradigm revision'.

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Preface. 1. Weber's Early Writings: Tentative Explorations Beyond Idealism and Materialism 2. The Later Writings and Weber's Multidimensional Theory of Society 3. The Retreat from Multidimensionality (1): Presuppositional Dichotomization in the 'Religious' Writings 4. The Retreat from Multidimensionality (2): Instrumental Reduction in the 'Political' Writings 5. Legal-Rational Domination and the Utilitarian Structure of Modern Life 6. Weber Interpretation and Weberian Sociology: 'Paradigm Revision' and Presuppositional Strain. Notes. Works of Weber. Indices.