Max Weber

The 'spirit of capitalism' is not simply the pursuit of wealth, but a moral obligation to work hard and accumulate capital.

The 'value-free' ideal of science means that scientists should strive for objectivity and avoid imposing their own values on their research.

The 'rationalization of the world' is a historical process that leads to the increasing dominance of instrumental reason and formal rationality.

The 'meaninglessness' of life is a consequence of the disenchantment of the world and the loss of traditional values.

The 'tragic' dimension of human existence lies in the conflict between ultimate values and the impossibility of realizing them all simultaneously.

The 'heroic' individual is one who takes responsibility for his actions and strives to create meaning in a meaningless world.

The 'ethic of responsibility' demands that politicians consider the foreseeable consequences of their actions.

The 'ethic of ultimate ends' is based on the conviction that one should act according to one's beliefs, regardless of the consequences.

The 'struggle of the gods' refers to the conflict between ultimate values, which cannot be reconciled.

The 'rationalization of music' is a process that leads to the development of increasingly complex and systematic musical forms.

The 'rationalization of law' is a process that leads to the development of increasingly formal and abstract legal systems.

The 'rationalization of religion' is a process that leads to the development of increasingly systematic and intellectualized theological doctrines.

The 'rationalization of the economy' is a process that leads to the development of increasingly efficient and productive economic systems.

The 'rationalization of the state' is a process that leads to the development of increasingly bureaucratic and centralized political systems.

The 'rationalization of everyday life' is a process that leads to the increasing standardization and routinization of human behavior.

The 'rationalization of the world' is a process that leads to the increasing dominance of instrumental reason and formal rationality.

The 'charismatic leader' is a figure who inspires devotion and obedience in followers, regardless of their rational assessment of his abilities.

The 'routinization of charisma' is a process by which charismatic authority is transformed into traditional or legal-rational authority.

The 'spirit of science' is characterized by a commitment to objectivity, rationality, and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.

No one knows who will live in this cage in the future, or whether entirely new prophets will arise, or there will be a great rebirth of old ideas and ideals, or, if neither, mechanized petrification, embellished with a sort of convulsive self-importance. For of the last stage of this cultural development, it might well be truly said: 'Specialists without spirit, sensualists without heart; this nullity imagines that it has attained a level of civilization never before achieved.'