Political Action & Social Science: Max Weber's Two Arguments for Objectivity

Abstract

The feasibility of objective social science has been the subject of much controversy in which Max Weber's thought looms large. In this article Edward Portis argues that Weber's position on objectivity has been widely misunderstood. He rejects the common view of Weber as an advocate of value-free sociology and finds that his claim of objectivity rests on the scientist's commitment to the vocation of science itself, which alone can give meaning to empirical verification. It is this commitment that substantiates Weber's argument for a nonarbitrary, objective social science. The author's analysis makes a contribution to the clarification of the proper relationship between social science and political life.