Versions of Vocation: Max Weber's ‘Wissenschaft als Beruf’ in Translation

Abstract:Expanding on prior discussion of the perils in translating the work of Max Weber, this paper compares five English versions of ‘Science as a Vocation’ (‘Wissenschaft als Beruf’) to show that none achieves maximum fidelity. The contrasting versions reflect divergent translation strategies that make the anglicized Weber a protean figure whose voice and meaning come through unevenly. The comparison points to a need for broader scholarly attention to problems of translation and suggests a different approach to future translations of classic texts in social science.