Oakes on Weber and Rickert

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In recent years a new trend in American sociology has become noticeable in the secondary literature on Max Weber. Both the erosion of the positivist paradigm of science and the subsequent search for feasible alternatives have led to changes in the interpretation of classical sociological literature. With regard to Max Weber's methodological writings the change of approach and method has primarily resulted in the formulation of a decidedly antipositivistic reading of the Gesammelte Aufs?tze zur Wissenschaftslehre. Although the pre? vious history of the discourse on Weber's methodology had been characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity of perspectives, most of the authors had followed Parsons's landmark interpretation. They had understood Weber's analysis primarily as a manifestation of a concept of science oriented toward contemporary natural sciences. Their main interest had been to systematically apply both Weber's concept of value neutrality and his typological approach to precisely this concept of science. In recent years, however, the antinaturalistic concepts of his verstehende Soziologie have received emphasis. The ideal type, understanding, and other methodological instruments are no longer seen as modifications of an otherwise undoubtedly valid mode of explanation. On the contrary, the aforementioned concepts are now placed within that historical context at the foundation of Weber's Wissenschaftslehre. Thus, the philosophical approaches and methods of Wilhelminian Germany have gained greater attention. They provide the es? sential backdrop for any adequate exploration of the origin and development of Weber's methodology. Professor Oakes?whose authoritative perspective on German academic culture rests not only on his translations of Georg Simmel, Max Weber, Hein? rich Rickert, Wilhelm Windelband, and Carl Schmitt?has now tackled this very problem. In his efforts at reconstructing Weber's methodological founda? tions, Oakes' interest clearly goes beyond mere historical investigation: "Some three generations after their original conception, the positions developed in