Weber and the Advent of the New

Distinguishing between the old & the new & analyzing the transition from the former to the latter are challenges that acquired unparalleled centrality in Max Weber's sociology of religion. This article examines how Weber dealt with these challenges & the inherent difficulties in his approach. For Weber, the transition from the old to the new necessarily requires something like a "transformation of man's soul" -- or a spectacular break with supposedly traditional mindsets. The argument is that this conceptualization led him to see nonexistent breaks (for example, between the Lutheran & Calvinist mentalities) & to fail to perceive important breaks (for example, between present-day tolerance & that of former ages). By way of conclusion, the article contends that there is an analogy between Weber's sociology of religion & Aristotelian physics, & that Weber's view that historically significant transitions require a "transformation of man's soul" can be better understood in light of this analogy. Adapted from the source document.