answer question on Weber and on Durkheim

This examination has TWO parts, one on Weber and one on Durkheim. Please answer TWO questions from Part I (on Weber), and ONE question from Part II (on Durkheim). There is no minimum length for an answer. Write the best answer that you can. You do not need to quote the texts or to cite pages in the books or readings, but you can, if you wish.

You may write until 2:30,

Part I. Please answer TWO of the following questions. (1 hour each)

1. What does Weber mean by the “spirit of capitalism”? How did the emergence of such a “spirit” influence the development of modern rationalized capitalism as a system? How could Calvinism, with no materialist motivation, have influenced the development of a “spirit” of capitalism? Why did the Calvinist approach to the calling help to give birth to that spirit, while Luther’s approach did not?

2. What are the “three pure types of legitimate domination,” and why are the particular types of domination embodied in bureaucracy and political leadership potentially in conflict with each other in the modern state? What are the features of bureaucracy that Weber believes make it necessary to seek out politicians with a “vocation”, and what should the qualities be of such a politician, in his view?

3. What is rationalization, and how does it work in the various “spheres” of the modern world, like economics, politics, and science? Does rationalization pose any threats or challenges to modern society? Are there any solutions, or changes of attitude, that Weber proposes to adopt in response to rationalization?

Part II. Please answer ONE of the following questions. (1 hour)

4. What does Durkheim mean by “morality,” and what is a “moral order”? If division of labor is a “moral” force, why is there a “moral crisis” in modern society, and how can social science aid in understanding and strengthening the moral order?

5. What does Durkheim mean by the concept of “solidarity”, and why is it important? What forms can solidarity take, and how can solidarity be “measured”? Is modern society more “solidary” than older forms of society? If so, how can one explain the “failures” of solidarity in modern society, and what can one do about them?

6. What is the division of labor, and how does it work? How can division of labor “strengthen” both society and individualism? Does it always strengthen individualism for everyone? If the division of labor is so positive, in Durkheim’s view, why are there still “failures”?