A re-assessment of the opinions of Karl Marx and Max Weber on modernity, this book reveals a remarkable agreement between their sociologies of the modern condition. The author suggests that they produced a critique of the nature of power and subjectivity in modern society.
The nature of modernity, and its connection with capitalism, are questions at the heart of contemporary sociological debate. In "Capitalism and Modernity," Derek Sayer critically re-examines the answers given by two of the greatest social theorists of capitalism, Karl Marx and Max Weber. He provides a fresh reading of both men's work, and breaks new ground in showing the remarkable relevance of their thought to the modern condition. From behind the well-worn stereotypes of "the Marx-Weber debate" emerges a disturbing critique of modern sociality, subjectivity, and power which has lost none of its intellectual force or moral relevance.
Clearly and compellingly written, "Capitalism and Modernity" is a major work of original scholarship. As an authoritative yet accessible commentary on a debate central to modern sociology and politics, this work is likely to become a seminal text in social theory.
