Understanding sociology

The Understanding Sociology is one of Max Weber at the beginning of the 20th century developed the theory of science approach to sociology . The aim of sociology is therefore to understand human action in an explanatory way , i.e. to understand the context in which an action stands. Understanding motives for action (and thus the reasons for actions) enables insight into the meaningful relationships between meaningful reason and meaningful behavior. Weber uses the term meaningful interpretation for this understanding .

Such an interpretation is for him a causal hypothesis ; the connection between reason and action is therefore thought of as one between cause and effect. Nevertheless, for Weber, this procedure can be differentiated from explaining the natural sciences : the results of understanding contexts of meaning include, in addition to the mere causal hypotheses, an insight into the actors' motives for action.

In addition to Weber, his contemporary Georg Simmel also dealt with understanding as a method of the social sciences. In the tradition of understanding sociology is, among other things, the phenomenological sociology founded by Alfred Schütz . However, Weber's sociological theory was also followed by currents such as structural functionalism and rational choice theory .

literature

• Georg Kneer , Markus Schroer (eds.): Handbuch Soziologische Theorien , Wiesbaden 2009, therein: p. 517ff.