Max Weber and the Idea of Progress

Abstract:This paper examines Max Weber's understanding of progress and his evaluation of how much of it there has been in human history. Weber largely dismissed the idea of progress, arguing that modern Kulturmenschen die ‘tired of life’ — beset by meaninglessness — rather than, like the peasant, ‘satiated with life’ — that is, filled with the meaningfulness of a life lived with and for others. Weber's perspective, which imputes a sort of generic meaninglessness to modern life, is argued to be too pessimistic; improvements in health, life expectancy, and wellbeing suggest that many people might well feel that there has been considerable progress, even if Weber thinks that their lives lack meaning for them. A fairer accounting of developments in the past century suggest that there is plenty of meaning to go around, and that especially those who contributed to the improvements in modern life are likely to have had fulfilling, meaningful lives in the course of making those contributions.