Ma`rifat Farhangi Ejtemaei

Elaborating on Max Weber's views and methodology, the present research which uses a "documentary" method seeks to critically evaluate ontological, anthropological and epistemological principles of his thought and those who influenced its formation, through extracting its personal and social grounds, in the form of a fundamental methodology. According to his method, a historical and social behavior must be felt from inside, an ideal mental-conceptual construct must be used to make visible important and meaningful categories, and the behavior must be tested by empirical tools. Weber accelerated the formation of a historical look at knowledge in the thought of thinkers after him (from Winch to Heidegger) by regarding knowledge as something historical. Although Weber's view is relative and skeptic, the idea that we must take into consideration the meanings of social phenomena and behaviors can be used along with revelation, intellect, inspired transmission and recognition of metaphysical foundations to provide a correct and realistic explanation for social behaviors and phenomena.