Searching for the Spirit of American Democracy: Max Weber's Analysis of a Unique Political Culture, Past, Present, and Future by Stephen Kalberg (review)

Abstract

Book Reviews 271 Stephen Kalberg, Searching for the Weher's Analysis of a Unique Politic (Boulder, CO and London: Paradig 978-1-61205-444-5. $138.00. In this slim volume, Stephen Kalb of democracy in America, or the s decried on both left and right. He yses such as Robert Putnam's ce America's declining social capita the specifically religious underpinn Instead, Kalberg turns to Max We of American society and culture. A implicit theoretical debate between endnotes, Kalberg pits the fundam thesis against essentially structura equality as the key to understandin nesses of values favourable to dem political) contribution to the debat racy, Kalberg's intentions in this are primarily pedagogical, as evide of Weberian terms and appendice United States in 1904 and on his Kalberg wants more to show ho ideal-typical analysis of singular h contemporary understandings of p America's 17th century Puritan roo the potential salvation of the 'spiri Kalberg succinctly defines the s 'civic individualism,' a 'symbio affirm themselves through pract rational, or utilitarian) action in berg's argument, or rather his expl into American democracy, posits keystone of American political cul interpretation in the Protestant alone before God sought certitud tion of his or her righteousness in the elective sect. In the 19th centu self-worth and social status transla of multiple associations whose m© Max Weber Studies 2015. 272 Max Weber Studies individualism in conformity with col Weber thus understood that American ized, anomic mass of individuals as Toc become and as Weber's German social was the inevitable fate of all modern s a brief interesting comparison with late Germany to suggest how the absence o to the United States reinforced Vergesell tion as well as the relegation of ethics to Weber of course recognized that th immune to the iron-cage logics of moder wanted to practice the grinding disciplin while the modern capitalist industrialist the practical-rationality of the ultimatel of productivity, the Protestant ethic und can democracy' would give way to the pu the political corruption and heightened in cultural pessimism is well-known, but, as an ideal-typical exaggeration that negle minism of Weber's social theory. Thus, of optimism. Certain traits of salutary civ example, in the moralistic tone of politica form professional organizations that do n bers' interests but establish norms for intensity of social conflicts such as the 'cu tive, powerfully held beliefs about social derly political culture, but it belongs to tradition to which Weber also subscribe competitive partisan parliamentary demo In short, Kalberg offers the reader a so Weber's political thought through the for American democracy. At times Kal very Weberian language of positivism sequences and the like). I suspect, how with his framing of his exposé of Web American political culture in current deb racy, was to make Weber more accessib rian scholars will forgive him and appr of his maître à penser. Laurence McFalls Université de Montréal© Max Weber Studies 2015. Laurence McFalls ...