The micro-macro linkage in Max Weber's Theory of sociological categories

This essay intends to point out the micro-macro linkage in the remarks developed by Max Weber in the first volume of Economy and Society, where he outlines his Theory of the Sociological Categories, which gives the title to the volume. Although the micro-macro linkage wasn't the author's declared intention, nevertheless, reading the text regarding under this specific perspective, some relevant elements appear; they give a meaningful contribution to the Weber's sociological theory under this specific aspect too, and so, as we shall see, under the one of the construction of sense in the societies. The great merit of Weber's work is that he has pointed out that the linkage between micro and macro consists just in the fact that "a right causal interpretation of a concrete acting shows that the external direction and the [internal] reason are recognized as adherent and, in the same time, intelligible in a way that it has got meaning in their connection" (Weber 1999a: 11). In other words, it is necessary an intelligible connection between the "external direction", that is the meaning and the sense that the action of the subject has for the others, thanks to the macro elements above which it is based, and the internal reason, namely the interior motivation of the subject to do that specific action. This is the turning point of the micro-macro linkage Weber has pointed out, and it represents one of the most relevant aspects of all his social theory. Finally we propose, on the bases of the reasonings developed in this work, the substitution of the concept of "objective sense" with that one less rigid of "shared sense" or "evident sense"; it is more capable to give reason of the presence, in the societies, to a time of participation and conflict, communicability and uncommunicability, loyalty, defection and protest, movement and institution, form and life, taxi and cosmos, order and chaos, concordia discors, etc. Adapted from the source document.