Books by Stephen P. Turner

The author presents Weber's contribution to social and political theory in a new and fascinating light, whilst his admiration for the scope of Weber's work is tempered by a cool and measured critique of his theories and methods.

Normativity is what gives reasons their force, makes wordsmeaningful, and makes rules and laws binding. It is presentwhenever we use such terms as correct,' ought,' must,' and the language of obligation, responsibility, andlogical compulsion.

The problem of the nature of values and the relation between values and rationality is one of the defining issues of twentieth-century thought and Max Weber was one of the defining figures in the debate. This book considers the development of the dispute over Max Weber's contribution to this discourse, by showing how Weber's views have been used.

'... a powerful piece of work that deserves to be read widely. It ranges across central concerns in the fields of social theory, political theory, and science studies and engages with the ideas of key classical and contemporary thinkers' - Barry Smart, Professor of Sociology, University of Portsmouth