Although well-known as the founder of the modern social sciences, Max Weber is less frequently recognized for his contributions to political thought. This book is an original interpretation of his thinking. Sung Ho Kim argues that Weber, one of the great political theorists of modern times, was deeply influenced by some of the most critical questions in modern political thought, especially the question of public citizenship in a mass democracy and civil society as its cultivating ground.

Acknowledgements; Part I. Of 'Sect Man': The Modern Self and Civil Society in Max Weber: 1. Agency, citizenship and civil society; 2. Reading Weber: between politics and science; 3. In search of the Protestant ethic thesis; 4. Outline of the argument; Part II. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Individualism: 5. Introduction: 'the last of our heroisms'; 6. 'A rationalization toward an irrational conduct of life'; 7. Calling: sanctification and regimentation of everyday life; 8. Predestination: objectification of the world and disempowerment of the self; 9. Empowering the individual agency: self-mastery and discipline; 10. Conclusion: value, rationality and freedom; Part III. The Protestant Sects and the Spirit of Civil Society: 11. Introduction: sociability of the Puritan Berufsmensch; 12. Gemeinschaft, Gesellschaft and Amerikanismus; 13. Modes of sociability: America versus Europe; 14. Sect contra church: particularism and voluntarism; 15. Secularization of charisma: from sect to status group and bureaucracy; 16. Conclusion: The public and the private; Part IV. Politics, Science, Ethics: 17. Introduction: Götterdämmerung; 18. Disenchantment and reenchantment; 19. Conviction, responsibility and decision; 20. Practice of the self I: realpolitik; 21. Practice of the self II: ideal type; 22. Conclusion: modernity, conscience and duty; Part V. Liberalism, Nationalism and Civil Society: 23. Introduction: liberalism and nationalism; 24. National identities, nation-states and the political; 25. Nationalism, citizenship and personality; 26. Politics of the classes: refeudalization and embourgeoisement; 27. Politics of checks and balances: corporatism and parliamentarianism; 28. Conclusion: 'the school of men'; Part VI. Max Weber's Politics of Civil Society: 29. Statecraft and soulcraft in Max Weber; 30. Purpose, contestation and the political; 31. Bowling alone; References; Index.