A Preliminary Discussion on the Notion of Nationalism in Weber’s Thought: Max Weber and His Cogitation of Nationalism

Yıl 2022, Cilt: 12 Sayı: 3, 25 - 46, 18.09.2022

Mehmet Özay , Muhammad Saifuddin

https://doi.org/10.12658/M0660

Öz

Nationalism is known as the product of the continuation of the Enlightenment in Western Europe. Although this ideology has an established place in studies on political science and has been a subject studied by political scientists, discussing whether the founding fathers of sociology had deliberated or not on this would be interesting. Max Weber seems to have developed an interest in the concept of nationalism after getting his professorship in economics. Once nationalism became a mainstream phenomenon among the world communities at the end of 20th century, Weber’s approach evoked interest among social scientists. This paper pays attention to Weber’s discussion of this notion in the context of German nationalism mostly based on the socio-political changes he witnessed. The basic question is what was Weber’s idea about nationalism and its place in his sociological and economic views? This paper tries to answer this question by comparatively going through sources. This preliminary work intends to review the ideas of Weber’s nationalism by engaging in the existing literature which is believed to be meaningful. This article limitedly addresses the reconstruction of Weber’s concept of nationality based on the availability of relevant data by revealing the academic discussion.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Max Weber, Germany, nation, nationalism, national economy

Weber Düşüncesinde Milliyetçilik Kavramı Üzerine Bir Ön Tartışma: Max Weber ve Milliyetçilik Düşüncesi

Öz

Milliyetçilik, Batı Avrupa Aydınlanma sürecinin bir ürünü olarak bilinmektedir. Bu ideoloji, siyaset biliminde yerleşik bir nitelik arz etmesine ve siyaset bilimciler tarafından ele alınan bir konu olmasına rağmen, sosyolojinin kurucu babalarınca tartışma konusu yapılıp yapılmadığına bakmakta yarar var. Bu çerçevede, Max Weber, ekonomi alanında profesörlüğü almasıyla birlikte milli/yetçilik kavramına ilgi gösterdiği anlaşılmaktadır. 20. yüzyıl sonlarında milliyetçilik dünya toplumlarında öne çıkan bir olgu olmasıyla birlikte, sosyal bilimciler arasında Weber’in yaklaşımı ilgi çekmiştir. Bu çalışma, Weber’in Alman milliyetçiliği bağlamında ve özellikle de, tanık olduğu sosyal-siyasal değişimler temelinde bu kavramı ele alışı üzerinde durmaktadır. Temel soru şudur: Weber’in milliyetçilik hakkındaki ve bu olgunun onun sosyolojik ve/ya ekonomi görüşündeki yeri nedir? Bir ön çalışma kabul edilebilecek olan bu makalede, ilgili kaynaklar karşılaştırmalı bir yöntemle ele alınmak suretiyle, Weber’in milliyetçilik kavramı hakkındaki görüşü incelenerek, söz konusu soruya cevap aranmaktadır. Bu makale, mevcut kaynaklar üzerinden Weber’in milliyetçilik kavramının yeniden inşasını ortaya koymaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Max Weber, Almanya, millet, milliyetçilik, milli ekonomi

Kaynakça

• Adair-Toeff, C. (2019. Max Weber and the ‘Prussian Geist’. Max Weber Studies, 19(2), 225–245.
• Aldenhoff-Hübinger, R. (2004). Max Weber’s inaugural address of 1895 in the context of the contemporary debates in political economy. Max Weber Studies, 4(2), 143–156.
• Anderson, B. (2006). Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism (Revised ed.). Verso.
• Ay, K. (2004). The meaning of honour in Weber’s concept of the nation. Max Weber Studies, 4(2), 221–233.
• Barbalet, J. M. (2001). Weber’s Inaugural Lecture and Its Place in His Sociology. Journal of Classical Sociology (JCS), 1(1), 127-150.
• Bendix, R. (1977). Max Weber: An intellectual portrait. University of California Press.
• Bendix, R. (1988). Max Weber: An intellectual portrait. Routledge.
• Bergstraesser, A. (1957). Max Webers Antrittsvorlesung in Zeitgeschichlicher Perspektive. In Vierteljahrshefte Für Zeitgeschichte (3rd ed.). 5 Jahrgang.
• Blum, F. H. (1944). Max Weber’s postulate of ‘freedom’ from value judgments. American Journal of Sociology, 50(1), 46–52.
• Brechtken, M. (2004). Max Weber: A family portrait. Minerva, 42, 445–450.
• Church, J. (2011). Hegel on political identity: Patriotism, nationality, cosmopolitanism. Retrieved from: htpps:// ndpr.nd.edu/reviews/hegel-on-political-identity-patriotism-nationality-cosmopolitanism
• Gerth, H. H, & Wright Mills, C. (1946). From Max Weber: Essays in sociology. Oxford University Press.
• Golovin, N. (2019). Max Weber and the great war: Personal opinions and essays as historical sociology. Centre for Fundamental Sociology, 2, 138–145.
• Heinrich T. (1915). Treitschke’s history of Germany in the nineteenthy century (Eden and C. Paul, Trans.; Vol. 1). Jarrold&Sons.
• Hopkins, N. (2007). Charisma and responsibility: Max Weber, Kurt Eisner, and the Bavarian revolution of 1918. Max Weber Studies, 7(2), 185–211.
• Judson, P. (2011). Nationalism in the era of the nation state, 1870 1945. In Oxford Handbook of Modern German History (pp. 499–526). Oxford History Faculty Works.Kaelber, L. (2003). Max Weber’s dissertation. History of the Human Sciences, 16(2), 27–56. Kim, S. (2002). Max Weber’s liberal nationalism. History of Political Thought, 23(3), 432–457.
• Llobera, J. R. (1987). Nationalism: Some mythological issues. JASO, 18(1), 13–25.
• Mayer, P. (1956). Max Weber and German politics: A study in political sociology (2nd ed.). Faber and Faber.
• Mayer, P. (1988). Max Weber and German politics (Vol. 4). Reprinted. Routledge.
• Mommsen, J. (1990). Max Weber and German politics 1890-1920 (J. C. B. Mohr & P. Siebeck, Trans.). University of Chicago Press.
• Mommsen, J. (2006). Introduction. In W. J. Mommsen & J. Osterhammel (Eds.), Max Weber and his Contemporaries (pp. 1–21). Routledge.
• Mueller, G. H. (1986). Weber and Mommsen: Non-Marxist materialism. The British Journal of Sociology, 37(1), 1–20.
• Mueller, G. H, & Weber, M. (1982). Socialism and capitalism in the work of Max Weber. The British Journal of Sociology, 33(2), 151–171.
• Norkus, Z. (2004). Max Weber on nations and nationalism: Political economy before political sociology. The Canadian Journal of Sociology, 29(3), 389–418.
• Palonen, K. (2001). Was Max Weber a ‘nationalist’? A study in the rhetoric of conceptual change. Max Weber Studies, 1(2), 196–214.
• Parsons, T. (1992. Introduction, In M. Weber (author), The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism (pp. vii–xxvii). Routledge.
• Renan, E. (1992). What is a nation? In E. Rundell (Tran.), Qu’est-ce qu’une nation? Presses-Pocket.
• Riesebrodt, M. (2014, January 1-8). Religion in the modern world: Between secularization and resurgence.
• Paper presented at the Max Weber Lecture Series, Max Weber Programme, Badia Fiesolana, European University Institute.
• Roth, G. (1965). Political critique of Max Weber: Some implications for political sociology. American Sociological Review, 30(2), 213–223.
• Roth, G. (1978). Introduction. In M. Weber (Ed.) and G. Roth & C. Wittich (Trans.), Economy and society: An outline of interpretive sociology (pp. xxxiii–cx). University of California Press.
• Roth, G. (1988). History and sociology in the work of Max Weber. British Journal of Sociology, 27(3), 306–318.
• Roth, G. (1993). Between cosmopolitanism and ethnocentrism: Max Weber in the nineties. Télos, 96, 148–162.
• Roth, G. (2002). Max Weber: Family history, economic policy, exchange reform. International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society, 15(3), 63–78.
• Roth, G. (2006). Max Weber’s articles on German agriculture and industry in the Encyclopedia Americana (1906/1907) and their political context. Max Weber Studies, 6(2), 183–205.
• Scaff, L. (1984). Weber before Weberian sociology. The British Journal of Sociology, 35(2), 190–215.
• Schröder, J, & Whimster, S. (2013). Max Weber in Munich (1919/20): Science and politics in the last year of his life. Max Weber Studies, 13(1), 15–37.
• Scott, T. (2017). The problem of nationalism in the early reformation. Renaissance and Reformation, 40(4), 161–177.
• Sell, E. (2017). The two concepts of patrimonialism in Max Weber: From the domestic model to the organizational model. Sociologia&Anthropologia, 7(2), 315–340.
• Spencer, P., & Wollman, H. (2002). Nationalism: A critical introduction. SAGE.
• Swedberg, R. (2003). The changing picture of Max Weber’s sociology. Annual Review of Sociology, 29, 283–306.
• Weber, M. (1978). Economy and society: An outline of interpretive sociology (M. Weber, Ed.; G. Roth & C. Wittich, Trans.). University of California Press.
• Weber, M. (2004). The vocation lectures: Science as a vocation, politics as a vocation (D. Owen & T. B. Strong, Eds; R. Livingstone, Tran.). Hackett Publishing Company.
• Weber, M. (2006). Germany: Agriculture and forestry. Max Weber Studies, 6(2), 207–218.
• Weber, M., & Fowkes, B. (1980). The national state and economic policy (Freiburg address; Inaugural lecture, Freiburg, May 1895), Economy and Society, 9(4), 428–449.
• Zimmerman, A. (2006). Decolonizing Weber. Postcolonial Studies, 9(1), 53–79.