Iranian Journal of Sociology
Year:2019 | Volume:20 | Issue:3|Papers Count:5

This article seeks to identify and formulate the epistemological foundation of the Muslim experts' ideal. The ideal in Iran, especially after the Islamic Revolution, was raised as a solution to the gap between seminary school and university. However, this ideal has been pursued by administrative plans and regulations, religious programs, documentation, and focusing on institutionalization, organization, and council. This research which was conducted using a library method analyzed Weber's theory of knowledge and value. We argue that the Weberian distinction between value-relation and value judgment can be used by Muslim experts as a base. Accordingly, to this distinction, the engagement of religious and cultural values of Muslim experts in academic and non-academic activities is legitimate.

The notion of rationality and its related issues are some of the broadest intellectual challenges in the modern age. For most of the social theorists, rationality as one of the main characteristics of the modern world helps to experience a rich and full life. What is certain is that there is no unanimity in the debate of rationality, and every thinker prefers a type of rationality. German scholar, Max Weber, is one of the thinkers who have theorized on the rationality of cognitive value. The present paper examined Weber's ideas on reason and its relation with value and analyzed how to achieve it using the documentary method. Findings show that in Weber's opinion, when the value orientations within intrinsic rationality, whether in the moral realm or in other realms, turns into theoretical rationality and their inner integrity increases. Thus, these orientations become ordinary world view. In this way, the rationality of cognitive value is realized and actions are done based on this rationality. According to Weber, the tension between the different realms is affected by the conflict between instrumental rationality and cognitive value rationality.

In this research, we attempted to determine the conceptual and theoretical gaps in Weber's theory of charismatic leadership and construct an ideal type of charismatic leadership using Weber's ideal type. This new ideal type must be sociological and have the empirical-historical test capability. Accordingly, first we examined the theoretical ambiguities in Weber's theory of charisma. Secondly, based on Weber's views and those of his main commentators, we constructed two main approaches to charisma. Focusing on individual characteristics, the first approach tries to explain the causes of charisma. The second approach focuses more on the followers' perceptions and responses to charisma, as well as on the objective and subjective conditions of charisma formation. It has been argued that a follower-oriented approach is a sociological approach that can be examined experimentally. In this approach, the validity of charisma stems from the approval and acceptance of followers. In addition, the followers look for a charismatic savior in certain psychological conditions. Thus, changes, social crises, and structural changes in society are considered to be the main causes of the emergence of charismatic leaders.

Considering the importance of Ashura in the culture of Iranian society, the present research attempted to study the Ashura rituals with the help of one of the prominent analytical tools in the social sciences, the Weberian concept of "Ideal type". The questions of the study are: whether the ideal type of Weber can be adapted to the rites of Ashura mourning? What are the most important empirical findings of this concept in the field of Ashura mourning? Our research method was the qualitative method and the research strategy was the abductive strategy. That is, to understand the actors' actions and to classify them, we employ a dynamic approach to the problem of research. To gather the data, we used theoretical sampling and interviewed 32 respondents. In addition, a thematic analysis technique (coding operation, data classification, etc. ) was used to achieve an analytical typology. The findings showed that mourners' actions can be grouped under four types: traditionalists, formalists, ethnocentric and religious modernists. These four types are different in terms of the discourse, the purpose, the amount of television access, the main characters of the assemblies, the basics, and the audience. Of course, this typology is a descriptive-analytic study of actors of these rituals and does not necessarily mean that all the characteristics mentioned are found only in one type or that there is an exact boundary between them.

In the Persian-speaking world, Weber is mainly known by Parsons' influential interpretation of his political sociology. Meaning that in our social science literature, Weber is described as the theorist of bureaucracy and iron cage. Weber's political sociology has received little attention comparing with charisma and its creative power. In this paper, we attempted to show how Weber interpreted people's creative power in modern politics. This interpretation opposed the importance of bureaucracy and helped emerge the quasi-charisma within a parliamentary and legal system. Focusing on the meaning of and origin of charisma, we argued that Weber's favorable modern politics was not a bureaucratic politics but a charismatic one. For this reason, we examined Weber's texts and commentaries. In the end, the impasse of Weber's conceptual system on the relation of parliament and charisma is explored.