Max Weber: Rationalization of the World as a Historic-Universal Process

Abstract

This article analyzes Max Weber’s sociology of religion, focusing on the
emergence of world religions. For this author, the universal tendency
towards rationalization is an historical force that has to confront other
forces, leading to unique situations in each historical case. Thus, ancient
Judaism can be seen not only as a forerunner of the West, but also
as the result of a combination of historical factors which allowed the
rationalizing driving force to spread with greater strength, enabling it to
be used as an heuristic tool for the comprehension of other civilizations.
Chinese or Indian cultures are seen as processes where rationalization
has been hampered or inhibited. By regarding ratio as a universal
driving force, Weber builds his philosophy of history. Thus, Weber’s view
of Modernity is seen through its metahistorical roots.