The marxian theories of value and exploitation axiomatised

The empirical claim made by the marxian theory of value may be made explicit by means of a set-theoretical axiomatisation. The axiomatised theory is seen to be testable, though to have a low degree of testability. The extent to which the theory of exploitation succeeds in revealing an exploitation which would otherwise be concealed is doubtful. The theory of value may be severely tested only by comparing its predictions, if any, with the facts.     

Fractured weber: A critique of parsons' interpetation

The authors argue that Parsons, through commitment to his “convergence thesis” and to his structural-functionalism coupled with his biological evolutionism, misrepresents Weber. Parsons arbitrarily applies to the Weberian tradition his own criteria biased against history. His general theoretical focus inclines toward the tradition of the functionalist Durkheim and that of the evolutionist Spencer. The authors contend that the later metamorphosis of Parsons' general theory of action into a theory of social systems has resulted in an abstract conception of social reality that is incongrous with Weber's view. The source of the Parsonian bias is further traced in his psychologization of Weber. Finally, it is asserted that Parsons represents a case of a-historicism incompatible with the Weberian tradition, with the consequence that the important contributions of Weber's historical sociology for the understanding of social change in the modern world are lost.     

On Estimating Internal Migration for Open Populations

The purpose of this note is to review the case for using the forward census survival ratio (FCSR) method for estimating internal migration. Though this technique seems likely, on certain criteria, to offer usable estimates of migration, it suffers from what some critics regard as a crucial weakness, namely a sensitivity to international migration. It is argued here, however, that this deficiency is less damaging than others have made it out to be. Consequently, a case can be made for preferring the FCSR method to other methods.     

"Sense" and "Intention" in Max Weber's Theory of Social Action

Ambiguities in Weber's theory of social action have been compounded in translation into English. American commentators have generally given a psychological twist to Weber's concepts of "intended sense" and "understanding," in terms of an "imputation of motive." Weber, on the other hand, distinguishes between the intended sense of an action and the actor's motivation. As a sociologist, he is interested, not in the imputation of motive to the individual actor, but in understanding social action in its "context of sense" in relation to "typical" or "cross-sectional" usages based on "consensus," that is, in its "cultural significance".